A Lion's Fate Book 2: The Take Over
by Snowfeather5
Summary: After leaving Lionclaw becomes Lionstar of LeafClan. Things are fine until Jayfeather warns him of trouble at the lake when Tigerstar takes over. Now its up to Lionstar to return home and defeat him. Can he save the forest from evil before its too late?
1. New Friends

Okay, for all my faithful reviewers (and hopeful some new ones too) here's the sequel to Lionpaw's lovers

Okay, for all my faithful reviewers (and hopeful some new ones too) here's the sequel to Lionpaw's lovers. Enjoy the first chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own warriors.

"Lionclaw, we've been traveling for days. Have you any idea where we're going?" Heatherstorm asked.

Lionclaw let out a sigh. The truth was, he had no idea whatsoever where they were headed, only that it was going to be better than the boundaries that once kept them apart.

It had been three sunrises since they'd left the gathering and Lionclaw was feeling slightly homesick. But he knew that the instant they'd left through the horse place there was no going back. Since then they'd traveled towards the mountains, ending up here in the forests of its deep slopes.

"Lionclaw look, paw prints!" Heatherstorm exclaimed breaking the long silence and rushing forwards to sniff the ground. "And they're fresh! There must be some cats near here, let's see if we can find their camp."

Without waiting for a reply, the light brown tabby sprinted ahead, following the scents of cats that hung in the air.

Lionclaw quickly rushed ahead after her. They had no idea whether these cats were friendly or not and they didn't need anyone to get hurt considering there was no medicine cat with them.

Finally, he spotted her carefully creeping up behind some bushes, belly skimming the ground. Going over to her, he crept down to her position, and together they both peered over the small barrier.

Gasping they both whispered, "Cats!"

Just ahead of the barrier were tons of cats, at least twenty-five, and they were all sharing tongues by the looks of it.

"Should we go in?" Lionclaw asked his mate. But the tom looked up in dismay as he realized she'd already pushed her way through the bushes.

Sighing, he padded after her and emerged into the clearing.

"Who are you?" a silver she-cat asked curiously.

Lionclaw was appalled. These cats didn't seem the slightest bit worried that two intruders just walked into their camp!

"I'm Heatherstorm." The golden tom heard his mate meow. "And that's my mate Lionclaw."

The warrior dipped his head to the cats.

"You're not from around here are you?" a black tom meowed.

Both cats shook their head. "We come from the Clans that live by the lake."

"Ha! See Berry, I told you some cats lived by that lake." An old gray tom meowed triumphantly.

"Fine I guess you're right. You get first pick tomorrow then." A cream tom meowed fairly.

"So who are you?" Lionclaw queried, eager to find about this group of rogues.

"Well, there are lots of us so I'll start." The silver she-cat meowed again. "I'm Stream."

"And I'm Feather!" The newcomers turned to see a small white she-kit padding towards them, her blue eyes wide with excitement.

"Hey wait for us!" Lionclaw let out a purr of amusement as four other kits came running after the first.

"I'm Apple. This is my brother Oak." Another white she-kit meowed, flicking her tail towards a brown tabby tom that reminded Lionclaw a lot of his father.

"Well I'm Tiny." Meowed a small black tom. "And my sister is the orange tabby she-kit named Dawn."

Lionclaw nodded.

"There are two more kits in the nursery with Cherry." Feather meowed. "But they're too tiny to come out yet. By the way, who are you?"

Heatherstorm let out a _mrrow _of amusement before responding. "I'm Heatherstorm and this is my mate; Lionclaw."

The golden tom dipped his head.

"Feather, why don't you bring you den mates some prey while I show the others around." Stream suggested to the little kit.

"Okay!" the white she-kit meowed excitedly before darting away.

Stream let out a sigh. "She's so full of energy. Thorn better give her a patient mentor when she becomes a trainee.

Lionclaw figured Thorn was their leader, and a trainee was like an apprentice.

"Well, there are plenty of cats to meet and only so much time so we'd better get a move on." Stream meowed, padding towards a large fallen log.

THIS IS A BREAK THIS IS A BREAK THIS IS A BREAK THIS IS A BREAK

"Whew. I don't know how we're going to remember all their names." Heatherstorm meowed.

"Well, we did it in the clans, and this is like our new clan so I'm sure we'll get used to it." Lionclaw meowed, giving her assuring lick.

"You're right. So do you think we're actually going to stay here?" Heatherstorm asked, her blue eyes pleading.

"I'll stay anywhere as long as you're with me." The tom purred.

"Thanks Lionclaw. Now lets find out where we'll be sleeping tonight," The light brown tabby suggested, standing up to stretch her muscles.

Finding Stream, Lionclaw meowed, "Excuse me, but where are we supposed to sleep tonight?"

"Oh right, follow me." The silver tabby meowed, walking towards the large log they'd been to earlier.

"Brownie!" The she-cat yowled. "Wake up, we've got visitors that need a nest."

Lionclaw heard a low growl as a Brown tom padded out of the den.

"Hello." Brownie meowed gruffly. "Over there you'll find a pile of moss. Grab some then follow me."

Lionclaw exchanged a glance with Heatherstorm before finally shrugging and padding over to where the tom had indicated. Picking up as much moss as he could carry, the golden tom followed Brownie into the log.

Inside, he had to step carefully over the cats that were already asleep, until they finally came to a stop in the middle.

"You can sleep here. In the morning I'll wake you up and you can come hunting with us." Brownie meowed before settling down in his own nest and falling to sleep.

Kneading the moss with his paws, Lionclaw managed to work it into a nest. Lying down, he curled his tail over his paws and settled down next to Heatherstorm.

"I love you." She whispered into his ear, before falling asleep beside him.

Lionclaw gave her a quick lick before glancing up at the sky through a slit in the den.

_Is this really where we're supposed to be? _The golden tom wondered._ Is this life going to be as good as we hoped?_ It was those doubts that dwelled in his mind before he finally drifted to sleep in his new home.


	2. The Perfect Place

Disclaimer: In the name of Starclan I don't own Warriors

Disclaimer: In the name of Starclan I don't own Warriors!! (Though I do own this group of rogues…)

"Come on sleepyhead, wake up! You've been sleeping like a hedgehog all morning."

Lionclaw blinked open his eyes and adjusted him to the light that streamed in through the slit. Arising, he quickly groomed his fur and stretched, eager to find out more about these cats.

"Somebody is anxious." Heatherstorm purred, cuffing her mate over his ear.

"Well, don't _you_ want to know about the cats we'll be leaving with?" he retorted.

"I guess you're right. Let's go find Stream." The she-cat suggested, bounding forward.

"Good morning lovebirds." The silver cat greeted them warmly. "Get a good night's sleep?"

Lionclaw nodded. "It was very nice."

"So, are you two going to be staying here awhile?" she queried.

This time Heatherstorm spoke. "Yes. Why, do most cats leave?"

"Well sure. I mean there's no law that's gonna keep 'em here. Most rogues just pass by for a night or two before heading back their way." Stream informed them.

Lionclaw was confused. "But last night you were mentioning something about your leader and mentors and appren- I mean trainees. How could he appoint those if none of the cats stayed here long?"

"I didn't say that every cat left! Most of us have been here for a while. Those who have Thorn appoints them as mentors or trainees or whatever he sees fits them." Stream meowed.

"So Thorn is your leader?"

"Well sort of. Him and about 15 of these other cats, including Tiger and I, came and settled here a long time ago. He was the one who guided us throughout the journey so he pretty much just continued doing so when we got here." Stream meowed.

"Where did you live? How did you decide on living like this?" Lionclaw asked, full of questions for these cats.

Ignoring the first question she meowed, "Well, we all knew how to do basic hunting and fighting for ourselves, but when one of our she-cats had kits, we didn't know what to do with them. It was Thorn's idea to let cats train them until they can fend for themselves."

Lionclaw nodded. This place sounded pretty similar to the Clans.

"The only problem is that some of the older cats, some of which came from the lake that you lived by, are unhappy with this lifestyle. They feel that nothing is directing them to do anything and it's too unorganized."

Heatherstorm nodded in understanding. "Back where we come from every cat lived by the warrior code and abided by its rules. It helped guide us to do the right thing. Also, we have a system for leaders and deputies, mentors and apprentices. Or as you call them, trainees."

Stream nodded thoughtfully. "That doesn't sound like a bad idea at all. But if so, why did you guys leave?"

Lionclaw exchanged a loving glance with his mate before answering, "All the cats were divided into four Clans. One cat was forbidden to have friendships with cats from other Clans. Unfortunately, I belonged in ThunderClan and she was from WindClan so we couldn't be together. It was then that we realized it'd be best for us to leave."

Stream nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I know that Tiger and I would do the same."

"Is Tiger your mate?" Heatherstorm asked.

"Yes. We've known each other since kit-hood and have always been together. We've even had a litter of kits. The trainees Poppy and Spots are ours." Stream explained.

"I see. So, how do you guys organize hunting patrols?" Lionclaw asked, curious about how these cats did things if they had no code to follow.

"Patrols? We don't do patrols. Every cat hunts for himself."

"But what about kits and elders? How do you expect them to hunt for themselves?" Heatherstorm asked.

"Well we're not heartless if that's what you think!" Stream snapped. "Usually a queen's mate will hunt for her and her kits. If the queen's mate has died or left her however, Thorn will assign an older cat to care for her until her kits are made trainees. It's the same way with elders."

Both newcomers nodded in understanding.

"So do you need to come along when we hunt? I don't want to cross your border markers." Lionclaw meowed.

Stream let out a snort of amusement. "We don't need border markers. There's not another cat around here for miles. We hunt where we please and nobody's gonna stop us."

Lionclaw wasn't convinced. "Uh, ok, if you say so. Come on, let's go. I'm as hungry as a badger." The golden tom meowed, nudging his mate to her paws.

"All right, all right. Thanks Stream, do you want us to bring you something?" The light brown tabby queried.

"Oh that's ok. I've already eaten. However I bet Snow will want to eat something. With those rowdy kits of hers that always need watching, she never gets the chance to get out."

Heatherstorm spoke the question that was bubbling in Lionclaw's mind. "What happened to her mate?"

Stream looked down a minute, her eyes clouded with sadness. When she finally looked up, she was staring at something distant that neither cat could uncover.

"One day a wolf came into camp. It was just two weeks after Snow had given birth. Bear, her mate's name, died protecting her and the kits."

Lionclaw nodded sympathetically. "I see." Without another word, he and Heatherstorm padded silently out into the forest, in search of prey.

"I feel so bad for Snow." The she-cat meowed once they were out of ear-shot.

Lionclaw nodded. "Me too. I hope we never have to go through that." The tom couldn't imagine life without Heatherstorm.

"Me neither. Now come on and let's hunt. I'm sure that queen is getting hungry." Heatherstorm meowed, obviously trying to lighten the mood.

Scenting the air, Lionclaw detected the strong scent of mouse and eagerly crept forward.

At last he sprang, killing the prey with a swift bite to the neck.

"Nice catch!"

Lionclaw looked up at the praise to see a black tom padding towards him, a vole in his jaws.

Setting down the prey he meowed, "Thank you, uh, Smokey right?"

The tom nodded. "Yep. Hey, why are you burying that mouse? Aren't you going to eat it?"

"Well yes, but I'm not done hunting yet and I don't want anything else to get it." The golden tom explained.

Smokey nodded but Lionclaw could tell he still didn't understand it by the wary look in his eyes.

"Lionclaw, look!"

Both toms turned to see Heatherstorm padding towards them happily, a rabbit hanging from her jaws.

"Who knew that there were rabbits in the forest? This place is perfect!" she purred, covering dirt over her catch.

"Well we'd better get back to hunting. We still have to catch something for Snow." Lionclaw meowed, wanting to talk with his mate.

"All right. I'll talk to you back in the camp. See ya later!" the black tom meowed, picking up his prey and padding off.

"What did you need to tell me?" Heatherstorm asked once Smokey had left.

Lionclaw blinked. "How did you-"

Heatherstorm purred in amusement. "I could see it in your eyes. Now really, what did you have to say?"

"I was just wondering if you were well, happy here." Lionclaw began awkwardly.

"Of course. Here sit down, I have to tell you something." The light brown tabby meowed, lying down in a soft patch of grass.

"Well, most people would think that because I'm from WindClan, I'd enjoy open plains and rolling hills. But the truth is I hated it. I was always cold and felt really exposed. And every single day we'd eat rabbit. Do you know how bland they get after awhile? I think this place is truly perfect; the best thing that could've happened to us." She purred, licking Lionclaw over the ear.

"Now come on, let's finish hunting. I want to get to know Smokey better, he seemed quite nice."

Getting to his paws, Lionclaw stretched his muscles and let the sun hit his back, warming his golden fur. With the gentle breeze ruffling his fur, and the pleasant sounds of the forest echoing through his ears, the golden tom didn't have a doubt in his mind that this was the perfect place for him and Heatherstorm. And looking at the cheerful gleam in her sparkling blue eyes, he knew she felt the same way.

**Aren't those two just adorable? I'll try to update soon for ya, so be sure to review and it might be faster… **


	3. Big Commitment

AN: Sorry for the long wait, here's the next chapter

**AN: Sorry for the long wait, here's the next chapter!**

Moonlight streamed into the clearing, making every pelt shine brightly. The grass glittered under the shine of the stars that danced in the blanketed sky. So far, not a cat stirred, everyone still sleeping soundly.

Glancing around, Lionclaw noticed a slight movement and he blinked, trying to distinguish the shape.

_It's Smokey! _Lionclaw realized, as his gaze fixed on the black tom, who's sleek pelt glistened with silver.

Inquisitively, he watched as the tom warily looked around to eventually jump into the air, and disappear on something unseen to the golden tom.

Finally, curiosity got the better of him and Lionclaw padded over to where he last saw the black warrior.

Looking around, Lionclaw noticed nothing out of the ordinary.

_He couldn't have just vanished! _Lionclaw thought, but as he looked around, that was exactly the way it seemed. Suddenly, a movement caught his eye and the tom noticed a tail swinging about a tail-length above him. Glancing up once more, he made out the shape of a cat, and realized that Smokey had jumped up onto the tree branch that hung just above him.

Gathering his haunches, Lionclaw leapt and landed swiftly on the branch beside the black tom.

Smokey jumped. "What are you doing up?" he asked nervously.

Lionclaw let out a purr of amusement. "I could ask you the same question." The golden tom teased.

Smokey sighed. "I guess you're right." He meowed, lightening up. "But how did you know I was up here?"

"Well I couldn't sleep either and then I found you up here and decided to follow. Hope you don't mind." The warrior meowed.

"Not at all. You know, I don't really know too many people around here, as I just joined not to long ago."

"Interesting. Where did you come from?" Lionclaw meowed, eager to find out more.

"Well, my mom left the Clans after a battle with her, uh, leader. She later found a rogue and mated with him, having me. Though my dad left us, my mom still taught me all the ways of the clan. She wanted me to know about the life I should've had."

Smokey paused, gazing out into the distance at something deeper than Lionclaw could decipher.

"But just this past moon she grew very ill and went to StarClan." Smokey's eyes were clouded with sadness, as he retold the story of her death.

"Eventually I came upon these cats and joined their group. I was hoping that they were a part of the Clans but I found out they weren't. Secretly, I still hope to return to the Clans one day, but until then I'm fine here." Smokey admitted.

Lionclaw nodded in understanding. "So is that why you were interested in Heatherstorm and I?"

"What is all this about me?" both toms turned to see Heatherstorm padding towards them, eyes gleaming mischievously.

Heatherstorm sprang up onto the branch, causing it to wobble.

Lionclaw unsheathed his claws, digging them into the branch in an effort to keep his balance.

At last she settled. "So what were you talking about before I showed up?"

Quickly the two toms filled her in on the current conversation.

"As I was saying," Smokey started once more, "yes. That was why I wanted to get to know you two better. I was interested in the Clan life. My mother taught me what she knew, but I know there was more to what she was saying by the distant look in her eyes."

Heatherstorm gave him a sympathetic glance. "Well, what would you like to know?"

"Well, first off I want to know about your names. Why do they sound so different?" the black tom queried.

"Well, when kits are born the ending 'kit is added to their name. At six moons old, the leader will give each kit a mentor and an apprentice name, their name now ending with 'paw. When their mentor is sure they're ready to become a warrior, the leader will give them a new ending of something like pelt, storm, tail, cloud or anything like that. If they later become deputy, then leader they'll receive the ending of star." Lionclaw explained.

Smokey nodded. "Mother never told me that. She just explained the four clans and a little bit of the warrior code."

There was a long pause before the black tom spoke again. "I have a question."

"Sure."

"Well, do you think you'll be able to turn these cats into a Clan?" Smokey asked anxiously.

Lionclaw exchanged a surprised glance with his mate. That was a huge responsibility!

Smokey shifted nervously.

"I, uh, wow." The golden tom was at a loss for words. "That's a big commitment. And what if the others didn't agree with changing their ways? Before they were able to do whatever they please. But if we turned them into a Clan there'd be strict rules to follow. Would everyone agree to it?"

"I'm not sure. But it's worth a shot. I overheard Stream telling you yesterday many cats wanted a guided life. This would be the perfect chance! I'm telling you it's the best thing for these cats." Smokey persuaded.

Lionclaw nodded thoughtfully. _Surely it couldn't be too hard right?_

A meow from his mate interrupted his thoughts.

"Come on back to the den. We'll discuss this in the morning. It was nice talking to you Smokey, and if you want to come hunting with us tomorrow we can talk about it some more." With that the light brown tabby gracefully leaped down off the branch, followed by the other two toms.

Padding back to the moss lined nest beneath a holly bush, the two warriors settled down together.

"Do you think we could do it?" Lionclaw asked. "I mean could we actually start a new Clan?"

"I'm sure we could do it, but just not without StarClan." Heatherstorm meowed with an anxious glance.

Lionclaw hadn't thought of that. _How could they have a proper Clan without the help of their warrior ancestors? No cat could ever be a true leader without their nine lives. And without StarClan how was the medicine cat supposed to guide the leader. _Lionclaw's heart sank._ A medicine cat! _He hadn't even thought of that. _Without a proper one already it would be up to StarClan to appoint one and the golden tom didn't even now if their ancestors were on their side. _

Letting out a small sigh, Lionclaw rested his head on his paws. If he was going to make this band of rogues a proper Clan, then he had a lot of work ahead of him.

**AN: Okay I hope you liked it, yay Lionclaw and Heatherstorm! Anyways, I'll need some suggestions for their Clan name (yes he's going to do it, duh!) so be sure to add them in with your request. I think I have one picked out but I'm not sure. Remember to review and I'll update faster!**


	4. Starry Support

**Sorry for the wait, here's the next chapter!**

Sunlight peaked its way over the horizon, brightening up the night sky that was fading with the stars. The trees rustled on their branches, swaying gently in the breeze. Overhead the soothing call of a raven could be heard as the bird fluttered through the forest.

Getting to his feet, Lionclaw delicately stepped over his mate, careful not to wake her up.

In the morning light, the golden tom let the sun warm his shining golden pelt before sitting down to groom his fur.

_I should head to the freshkill pile and grab something to eat. _But glancing around, the tom remembered he wasn't at home; he needed to hunt for himself.

After stretching his sleepy muscles, Lionclaw padded out of the grassy clearing and into the dense forest.

Swiveling his ears the warrior listened to the sounds of the forest. He could hear the crunch of undergrowth with each step of his paws. Other than a bird calling out, nothing else could be heard in the early morning.

Opening his mouth, the golden cat drew in the smells of the forest, distinguishing the prey scents from others.

Quickly, he spotted a small wood mouse nibbling on a beechnut. Crouching down instinctively, Lionclaw made his way over to the prey and killed it with a swift bite.

Devouring the catch in a couple of bites, Lionclaw licked his paw and drew it around his ears.

Suddenly, he heard a branch break nearby and he whirled around.

"Who's there?" he meowed, trying to sound braver than he was.

"Relax. It's just me."

Lionclaw let his fur lie flat as a familiar black pelt emerged from behind the brambles.

"So how's the prey running this morning?" Smokey asked, trying to make conversation.

"Very nicely. I just finished off a plump mouse in fact." Lionclaw meowed politely.

There was an awkward silence before the black tom spoke up again. "So have you and Heatherstorm come to a decision?"

The golden tom let out a small sigh. Obviously this tom wasn't giving up on his hopes.

"I think that we should be able to do it." Lionclaw meowed at last, unsure of what he just got himself into.

Smokey's eyes gleamed with a mixture of excitement and happiness. "That's great!" He purred, sounding like a kit.

Lionclaw just nodded, looking out into the distance. How was he supposed to make an entire band of rogues a true Clan? Letting out another sigh, he laid down in a patch of soft grass that was warmed by sunlight streaming in through a slit in the treetops. He had a lot to think about and that particular spot was looking very inviting.

"What's wrong?" Smokey asked sounding dejected.

"Oh nothing. I just need some time to think. When Heatherstorm wakes up I'll come and get you. I think we need to talk to Thorn and the others before deciding anything."

"Oh okay."

Lionclaw watched as the tip of his tail disappeared from sight and the tom let his head rest on his paws.

Closing his eyes, blackness soon engulfed the golden tom as he let sleep overcome him.

THIS IS A BREAK THIS IS A BREAK THIS IS A BREAK THIS IS A BREAK

The sound of many pawsteps filled his ears, and Lionclaw blinked open his eyes. To his surprise, he was no longer in a sun-warmed patch of grass. Instead he was standing in a large sandy clearing with a pool in the middle, it's water sparkling in the light.

"Greetings."

The tom spun around to see many cats padding towards him to sit beside the edge of the pool. Their pelts sparkled with stars and Lionclaw realized with a jolt that they were from StarClan.

One of them, a blue-ish gray she-cat padded forward to stand beside him.

"I'm Bluestar. I was the leader before Firestar. I've come to share some news with you." She meowed.

Lionclaw nodded involuntarily. His amber eyes gleamed with a combination of exhilaration and fear. Though he knew these were his warrior ancestors, he was still wary of the unfamiliar territory.

"You were right to agree with Smokey. He's going to be a noble cat in your Clan." The star pelted warrior meowed.

Lionclaw blinked. "So I am going to make them a Clan?" He meowed.

Bluestar nodded. "Yes. They've needed someone like you to come around for a while now, even though they didn't know it. You shall become the first leader, and guide these cats for a long time."

Lionclaw stood there in shock. He was supposed to become Clan leader!

"I have called this meeting to let you know that you have StarClan's support. Even when we seem silent, we'll always be following you every pawstep of the way."

"But how am I supposed to do that? I mean what am I supposed to do if not everyone agrees? We can't just force them to change their ways." Lionclaw pointed out.

The she-cat dipped her head. "You are right. But I never said this would be an easy task, only one that must be accomplished. You have a destiny far greater than what you know."

Glancing around the star filled pool, the other cats nodded in agreement. Returning his gaze to Bluestar Lionclaw spoke up again.

"Yes Bluestar. I will try my best to fulfill this destiny." Though the golden tom spoke the words, he wasn't entirely sure he believed them. This was a lot of work he accepted to do!

"I'm glad you understand. Today you will talk to the others. Many will accept the change quite nicely. Once you have everyone's support, and we are sure you're ready, you'll receive your nine lives and leader name. After that things will become easier for you."

Lionclaw nodded in understanding, "Thank you. But who will be the medicine cat?"

"When the time comes you'll know." Bluestar meowed, her sparkling pelt beginning to fade into blackness.

"Wait, I still have questions!" But his pleas were lost in the wind as the others began to slowly disappear, leaving the golden tom alone, and more confused than when he had gone to sleep.

"Lionclaw? Lionclaw wake up. What are you doing out here? Anyone could've come by and hurt you.

Blinking his eyes open, Lionclaw realized that the sun was only slightly higher in the sky than it was before he fell back asleep.

Lifting his head to touch noses with his mate he meowed, "Don't worry about me. I was only asleep for a little while."

The light brown tabby let out a sigh of relief. "Okay, but next time be more careful! She teased, cuffing him over the ear playfully.

When Lionclaw didn't react she became worried. "What's wrong?" she queried, eyes glinting with fear.

Shaking his head to regain thoughts he finally explained to her his encounter with StarClan.

As he finished, he noticed her eyes were wide with enthusiasm. "I'm so proud of you." She purred, given Lionclaw a tender lick on his golden cheek. "Come on, let's go start explaining to the others, we need to get as much support as we can on this."

Getting to his paws, Lionclaw stretched and gave his chest fur a thorough licking. When he was fully groomed, the tom went to stand by his mate.

Tails twined, the two warriors padded side by side, their pelts merging into one as they raced through the greenery, eager to start the beginning of their destiny.

**Okay I hope you liked the chapter. Lionclaw has finally found out a part of his fate. Will he have trouble getting others to agree with the new changes to their life though? I guess you'll have to read and find out! Also, don't forget to review. I mean if you've read this far you may as well make record of it. Thanks for reading and please review! (I think the poor button is lonely) LOL. XD Seriously though, you'd better review. **


	5. Finalizing the Plan

**Enjoy this chapter!**

_Disclaimer: In the name of StarClan I honestly don't own Warriors!_

Though a cool breeze rustled through the camp, Lionclaw could feel everyone's gaze on him hotter than ever. Standing on a tree stump, he overlooked the entire camp, watching as the cats gathered beneath him waiting for the big announcement.

Purring in amusement, he watched as Feather lead her siblings over to the group, only to be stopped and scolded by her mother who rounded them back to the safety of a hollow rock.

Several other cats emerged into the camp through the bramble bushes, the strong scent of freshkill wafting from their pelts.

"What are we waiting for?" a voice called out. Following the source of the sound, the golden tom saw a dark tabby sitting beside Stream that he guessed to be her mate, Tiger.

"Is everyone here?" Lionclaw meowed, his voice ringing out above the wind that was ruffling his fur.

"Yes. Now what's all this about?"

Looking up, Lionclaw watched as a dark ginger tom thrust his way through the crowd to stand directly below the golden warrior.

"Well, as you know, my mate and I came from a group of cats down by the lake." Looking at Heatherstorm who nodded below him in support, he continued. "There we were guided by something called the Warrior Code and every cat followed its rules."

"So what does this have to do with us?" A cat Lionclaw recognized as Brownie called out.

"I'm getting to that now. Well, when I got here, many cats expressed their opinion of needing a more guided life, and I think I can help you do that. With the help of StarClan, Heatherstorm and my own faith I think we can turn you all into a true Clan!" Lionclaw howled the last words into the air, hoping they sounded convincing.

A couple yowls of protest broke through the camp, but to Lionclaw's own happiness, most seemed to be agreeing.

"What benefit would Clan life have to us Queens?" Snow called out from the back.

"Well, you'd be cared for by every member of the Clan. And until your kits reached six moons old, you'd have your own den where you and them could stay called the nursery." Heatherstorm answered her, leaping up to stand beside her mate.

This answer seemed to satisfy the Queen and she sat back down, nodding.

Seeing there were no more questions, Lionclaw went on to explain in more depth of the warrior code, Starclan and ways of Clan life. When he was finished, the tom looked around in anticipation.

Around him cats were murmuring amongst themselves, each debating on whether or not Clan life was suitable for them. Several cats though, still seemed unsure about the sudden change and Lionclaw was becoming discouraged.

_What's a way to win them over? _The golden tom thought, knowing he was losing their attention quickly. With a jolt, the warrior remembered that Thorn was their leader and decided that the best way to get their support was through a trusted cat.

"Um, Thorn," Lionclaw started locating the ginger tom, "Do you have anything to say to your cats?"

Scooting over, Lionclaw waited for Thorn to join him on the stump to address his cats.

"I know many of us have gotten use to our free-spirited ways, but I feel that this change could be for the best." Thorn stated, getting meows of approval from his followers. "But I know some of you aren't convinced. Any more questions for Lionclaw?"

A white tom stood and padded forward, his fur gleaming in the sunlight. "My name is Cloud and I would like to know who would lead this Clan. Because Thorn has always led us before now, but Lionclaw seems to know more about this code he speaks of."

Lionclaw exchanged a glance with the dark ginger tom before Thorn spoke once more. "I think it'd be wise for Lionclaw to lead us. He obviously knows what he's talking about and he seems to be a natural leader."

Lionclaw's eyes shone with pride as he shot the ginger tom a grateful glance.

As the white tom sat down, a black and white tom came forward, fur bristling with anger.

"I'm Patches, and I think that this is the most mouse-brained idea I've ever heard!" The tom meowed angrily.

Lionclaw felt his heart drop.

"Now Patches calm down." A brown she-cat ran her tail comfortingly down the tom's back. She murmured some things inaudible to the golden warrior before the tom's fur lie flat again.

"Okay, well I have a question. What will us Warriors do huh? And where will set borders? And how many of us actually want to do this?" The black and white tom asked.

Meows of approval sounded throughout the Clan and Lionclaw struggled to be heard.

"Cats, I've come to a conclusion." Lionclaw meowed, ignoring his first two questions. "The best way to solve this is by forming two groups. Cats who want to stick to their own ways, stand by the log. People who want to be formed into a noble clan stand beneath this stump."

Thorn jumped off the stump to stand directly beneath Lionclaw his green eyes looking eager.

"He would make a good deputy…" Lionclaw murmured to himself.

Eyes shining in anticipation, Lionclaw watched as the group of cats slowly dispersed.

Stream and her mate Tiger stayed where they were beneath the stump along with a gray tom. Behind them stood Snow along with two other queens and all the kits.

"I think it would benefit us to join this Clan." A tortoiseshell queen meowed, her kits curled at her belly.

"Cherry is right. And it feels nice to be apart of something." Another white queen meowed.

Lionclaw's heart filled with joy. They actually had a lot of support!

The golden tom's excitement was shattered as six more cats made their way over to the moss-lined log. Lionclaw recognized three of them to be Brownie, Patches and his mate and guessed the others were their friends.

_Do I really have everyone's support? _Lionclaw wondered. _What am I going to do if not everyone agrees? StarClan told me it was my destiny to make this Clan but if these cats don't want to change… _the golden tom didn't even want to think about what to do if it came down to that.

Doubts began to form like a stone in his chest as four cats joined the other side of the camp, along with the four elders.

"Cats, just keep in mind the perks of Clan life. This is truly for the best." Thorn meowed, trying to convince the neutral cats to join him.

Luckily it seemed to work because the three trainees came to join him.

Looking around the clearing, only a lithe silver tabby she-cat and a ginger tom remained unsure. Finally, the silver tabby ran her tail down her mate's back before coaxing him over to Thorn.

"I shall now take count." Lionclaw announced. _Okay, 14 on that side and… _the tom's heart dropped. More cats were standing by the log!

Suddenly a loud hissing noise interrupted his thoughts and everyone turned to see that a circle had been formed around Patches and his mate.

"Maple, please don't do this." The tom pleaded.

"I'm sorry but I think this is for the best. I'm expecting kits soon and I'll need the help that Clan life can support me. If you love me you'll come with me." And without waiting for a response the brown she-cat turned and thrust her way through the group to stand next to Stream and Thorn eyes shining in dignity.

Lionclaw blinked, waiting to see what would happen. Everything was tied up now, and it was up to Patches now to determine the final tally. If he joined his mate there would be a new clan. If he didn't…then everything would be tied and it'd be up to the kits to determine everything. And _that _could be bad.

Casting a longing glance at the log, the tom sighed and went to sit by his mate. Licking her cheek he meowed, "I go where you go. You know that."

By the look in the she-cats green eyes, Lionclaw could tell she was truly relieved that her mate joined her.

With everyone finally at their spots, Lionclaw decided to announce the final vote.

"Cats, by a lead of one cat," Lionclaw shot a joyful glance at Patches, "you shall all become a Clan!"

Cheers of happiness erupted from the cats and Lionclaw felt proud to know he'd be leading such a loyal group. But then a thought occurred to him; what would he call it?

Beckoning Heatherstorm to come, he explained the dilemma to his mate.

"Hmm…" she meowed, obviously deep in thought. Suddenly her eyes lit up and she whispered her idea into Lionclaw's ear.

Lionclaw nodded and licked his mate's cheek before continuing.

"Listen up everybody. You shall no longer be addressed unnamed. For this point on, we are all members of LeafClan!" Lionclaw shouted the words into the cloudless sky and yowls of approval erupted around the newly named Clan. Even the cats that were originally against it were found shouting their consent.

"Next step is to make you Clan leader Lion_star._" Heatherstorm purred, twining her tail with her mate's. And at that point, standing on the stump next to his mate and while his Clan gathered below him, Lionclaw couldn't have felt happier.

**Yay LeafClan! I hope you enjoyed this chapter (and liked the name I picked out) I'm going to be updating soon; I have a free weekend so far. Once again I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Oh, and before I forget, I really can't stress this concept more:**

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	6. Lionstar: Leader of LeafClan

**Hope you like this chapter!**

_Disclaimer: If I owned Warriors would I be writing a disclaimer?_

Moonlight shone through the branches of the holly bush, making shadows dance on the ground. Heatherstorm's tabby pelt was gleaming under the shine of the stars as both cats gazed into the sky.

"So what's next?" Lionclaw meowed, twining his tail with his mate's.

"I'm not sure. I know you need you leader name, but where to go?" Heatherstorm meowed, her voice tinted with worry.

Lionclaw sat up with a jolt. "Well they have to get water from somewhere right?"

The she-cat nodded.

"Then maybe they'll have something like a Moonpool here too! Let's go ask Thorn now."

Without waiting for a reply, the golden tom padded out of the den and into the grassy clearing. Padding over to the moss-lined log, Lionclaw peeked his head in and called for the tom to come out.

A faint rustling could be heard and at last the ginger tom emerged from his den.

"What is it? Is something wrong?" he asked, unsheathing his claws.

"No. But where do you guys get your water from?" Lionclaw asked.

Thorn blinked at him. "You woke me up to ask where I get water?" he queried, his tone edged with annoyance.

"Yes. There'll be time for an explanation later if you lead me to the stream now." Lionclaw meowed, growing impatient.

"Okay fine. Follow me." Turning around, the tom disappeared into a bundle of gorse, followed by the two mates.

In the forest leaves waved in the wind while the three cats raced through the undergrowth. Not a sound could be heard other than the leaves crunching beneath their paws and the wind whistling through the trees.

At last Thorn slowed his pace, and the faint trickling of water could be heard nearby. Emerging out of a clump of bracken, Lionclaw let out a gasp at what he saw.

Grass shone brightly under the moonlight as it surrounded the quiet stream. The water glistened with a silver sparkle as it flowed peacefully through the forest. The reflections of stars danced in the tranquil waters. Looking into the distance, the stream seemed to disappear into the night, vanishing into the blackened sky.

"Wow. What's done there?" Lionclaw queried, already creeping forward.

"A small waterfall that leads into a pool." Thorn meowed, still perplexed by the importance of water.

The sound of rushing water filled the tom's ears as he approached the fall that was only two tail-lengths off the ground. The land around it eased off as a gentle incline and Lionclaw made his way to the bottom.

The star lighted pool was even more ravishing than the stream itself. Several sparkling stones lay around the edge of the pool, making it easily accessible. Bubbles erupted silently where the water dripped off while a small brook carried the rest of the water downstream.

A pelt brushed up against him and amber eyes locked with blue ones.

"This is it isn't it?" The pretty she-cat murmured. "The new Moonpool." As both warriors gazed into the beautiful circle of water, Lionclaw twined his tail with hers, glad she was there to share the moment with him.

"I suppose its time." Heatherstorm meowed. "Good luck, and may StarClan be with you."

"I suppose it is. Thanks." Giving his mate a final lick on the cheek he stepped delicately onto the stones. Carefully, Lionclaw lowered himself down until his belly fur brushed against the cold stone. Taking one last glance at his mate, the golden tom put his nose against the water and waited as a numbing effect took control of his senses, and blackness engulfed over him.

Lionclaw blinked open his eyes and found himself back in the battle clearing at home.

"Greetings." Meowed a cat, and Lionclaw instantly recognized the pelt of Bluestar.

The golden tom dipped his head. "Greetings Bluestar."

"You have completed your task Lionclaw; you created a Clan of your own. Now it is your task to lead them through many moons. To start you must become a true Clan leader."

Lionclaw's paws tingled with excitement at the thought of becoming a true leader. At the same time though, he had small doubts. Would he be able to lead these cats that trusted and looked up to him? But he had no time to think about it now, as Bluestar had begun speaking once more.

"As you know you'll be given nine lives from the members of StarClan. Lionclaw looked past her to see many cats, all of them with well-groomed fur and sparkling eyes.

"I shall start the ceremony. With this life I give you wisdom. You must know what is right to do, and how to do it."

Lionclaw felt a pain pierce through him, sharp as claws and he bent over in pain. At last it ceased and Lionclaw let out a heave as he tried to regain his breath.

Bluestar licked his shoulder and returned to sit back in the crowd.

"Lionclaw, you may not know me but I am Cinderpelt. I was the medicine cat before Leafpool and Jayfeather. With my life I give you the strength to carry on, no matter what hardships you may face."

Lionclaw was confused. His brother was a warrior now? What happened to Leafpool then?

His thoughts were cut short as a numbing sensation shot through his body. Lionclaw wanted to yowl in pain and run but his mouth stayed shut and his feet remained planted on the ground.

When it was over the golden tom stood panting. How was he supposed to endure this seven more times? The tom wondered if he would make it.

As the gray she-cat returned to her seat, a light brown she-cat padded towards him.

"Honeyfur?" Lionclaw choked out the words, it couldn't be true!

The she-cat nodded. "I died the night you left at the gathering, a huge battle broke out there." The she-cat's eyes were clouded with sadness as she recalled her last night in ThunderClan. "Anyways, I've been permitted to give you your third life; the gift of protection. Watch over you Clanmates like a mother would her kits." Lionclaw barely heard her as she whispered, "The kits I never had."

The golden tom stepped forward eagerly to receive this life, expecting it to be pure and soft. To his surprise though, it was worse than the others and the unexpected tom doubled over in pain.

Just as quickly as it started, it stopped and Lionclaw stood there, expecting at any moment to fall over.

As Honeyfur sat down, a gray tom stood and addressed the warrior.

Lionclaw stood in shock.

"I know this is a surprise to you Lionclaw. But don't be alarmed. Brook and I are very happy in StarClan as well as the Tribe of Endless Hunting. I was fortunate enough to be called here today to give you the life of courage. Never be afraid to do what you know is right.

After the pain passed, Lionclaw licked his shoulder.

"Good luck young warrior. May StarClan light your path." The gray tom whispered, giving Lionclaw an assuring lick before padding back to sit with the other starry Warriors.

As he sat down, Lionclaw waited for the next cat to give him a life.

When no one stepped forward, he was confused. Who was supposed to give him a life?

Suddenly the cats spread out leaving a small path in the middle as a dark ginger cat padded forward from the depths of StarClan.

It couldn't be! Lionclaw thought. But to his astonishment the starry pelted cat padding towards him was indeed, Firestar.

"You're late." A tortoiseshell teased, flicking him over the ear with her tail as the once Clan leader walked past.

"Sorry I'm late Bluestar. But I'm here now." Turning to Lionclaw he meowed, "I see you've found a life of your own. I'm very proud and I know your father will be too. You've accomplished a lot Lionclaw, and this is only the beginning. With this life I give you loyalty. Stay loyal to your Clan and your warriors shall stay loyal to you.

This time Lionclaw tensed his muscles, bracing himself for the pain. It wasn't as bad as the others and to his surprise, the golden tom found himself getting used to the pain.

_Okay, four down five to go. _The warrior reminded himself.

As Firestar returned to the group, a she-cat stepped forward.

"Oh no." Lionclaw murmured. "This can't be true."

But to the golden tom's despair it was. "Hello Lionclaw, I couldn't be prouder of you." The brown tabby meowed.

Lionclaw nodded. "Thank you. I couldn't have done it without the help of StarClan though." The tom replied modestly.

"And because of that, I give you the life of faith." The she-cat mewed.

This life was much less painful than the others and Lionclaw let out a sigh of relief.

"You're on your way to becoming a true leader." The former ThunderClan cat meowed, her eyes full of pride.

As she backed away, a silver she-cat stepped forward.

"Greetings Lionclaw. You do not know me but I am Feathertail. I was a warrior that died defending the Tribe of Rushing Water on the Great Journey. I'm here to give you your next life, one of fairness."

Lionclaw braced himself and the pain went away before he knew it.

_Only two more left to go_… he thought happily.

When Feathertail sat down, Lionclaw looked expectantly around the clearing.

_Oh no, not again!_ The warrior fretted. _Is this a sign I'm not supposed to be a leader?_

A small rustling could be heard and the cats turned as a gray pelt emerged from a tangle of gorse.

"Jaypaw!" Lionclaw exclaimed, unable to contain his emotions any longer. "Wait, you're d-dead?"

The gray tom let out a purr of amusement. "Actually my name is Jayfeather now. And of course I'm not dead you silly furball.."

"No, he's not. So he shouldn't be here." An old she-cat rasped.

Firestar laid his tail on her shoulder. "Now Yellowfang, you know as well as I do Jayfeather was called here for a reason. He has the power of the stars in his paws remember? Let him give Lionclaw his life."

Lionclaw stood, unsure of whether to be relieved to see his brother or worried.

"Oh, Lionclaw I was so worried about you." Jayfeather whispered, licking his brother's cheek. "I'm so glad you're ok."

Lionclaw gave his brother an assuring lick. "Thanks."

"Now to give you your life." The tom looked thoughtful for a moment before finally continuing, "Lionclaw, with this life I give you patience. Use it well when dealing with your cats and waiting for hope to come."

The words seemed to have more meaning than Lionclaw knew at the time but he brushed away his suspicions as he awaited his eighth life.

This pain shot towards him like a piercing claw and he struggled to stay standing. Digging his claws into the ground, Lionclaw managed to keep his balance, even though his legs were shaking.

"I'll be talking to you soon." Jayfeather whispered. After giving his brother one last lick, the gray tom turned and fled back through the bushes.

_My last life_…

Finally, the tortoiseshell that had been talking with Firestar came to stand in front of Lionclaw.

"You may or may not know me but I am Spottedleaf. I was medicine cat when Firestar, Firepaw back then, first came into the Clans and when Bluestar was leader. I've been honored to give you your last life, one of love. You must learn to love every member from the youngest kit to the oldest elder. And Heatherstorm too." Spottedleaf added the last part more quietly.

Lionclaw braced himself one last time but let his muscles go limp when a rush of pure happiness swarmed through his veins. The comforting bliss in this life soothed the pain from the other lives and Lionclaw let a loud purr escape his fur.

"Congratulations Lionclaw, you've successfully received all nine lives." Spottedleaf purred.

Lionclaw already felt attached to this pretty she-cat and gave her shoulder a lick.

"Thank you Spottedleaf." He murmured as she returned to sit by the ginger tom.

Once more Bluestar stepped forward.

"Lionclaw now that you have received your nine lives, you need your warrior name. Lionclaw, you have been chosen by the spirits of StarClan to lead the newly named LeafClan. Do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend and lead this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I will give up all nine lives for them." Lionclaw meowed solemnly, all doubts washed out of his mind.

"Then from this moment own, you shall now be known as Lionstar. StarClan honors your bravery and strength and we welcome you as a true leader of LeafClan."

Lionstar rested his nuzzle on Bluestar's shoulder as the she-cat licked his shoulder.

"We will be meeting with you soon Lionstar. There is much more to your destiny than just this." Bluestar meowed, backing away. "But for now, we must go. Enjoy your new Clan!" The blue-gray she-cat faded away into the moonlit sky, followed by her fellow warriors.

Blinking open his eyes, Lionstar felt a surge of cold rush through him and he shook his dampened fur.

A warm pelt brushed his and the leader turned to see his mate looking at him with shining eyes.

"Congratulations Lion_star. _You're now a true leader of LeafClan!" she purred. And together the two naïve lovers headed back to camp; unaware that this was the first step to the beginning of their destiny.

**Ya, it was really long I know but a lot of important info came from Lionstar's leader ceremony. Anyways, I hope to be updating soon. But if people would actually review (coughcough) it might be faster!! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! **

**P.S. The first person that can guess the mystery cat in his ceremony (The one that remained unnamed) will get the chance to name one Maple's kits. So get to reviewing and send in your guesses!**

**P.S.S. It's really not that hard of a contest, so for the love of StarClan please review!**


	7. Official Cats of LeafClan

**Enjoy this chapter!**

Pale morning sunlight streamed through the branches of the holly bush and Lionstar crawled out from his makeshift den. Birds chirped cheerfully from above and a gentle breeze blew through the camp. Everything seemed perfect, as if the entire forest was on his side.

Stretching his stiff muscles, the golden tom padded away from his nest and towards the stump in the center of the grassy clearing.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather here beneath the Highstump for a Clan meeting." Lionstar called out the words, his voice echoing off the treetops and into the pink tinted sky.

Thorn and Smokey were the first to arrive, followed by Cloud, Stream and Tiger.

Lionstar felt his fur ruffle out with pride as he thought about how much these cats looked up to him, trusted him with their lives.

Soon after, many of the others emerged from the log and joined their Clanmates under the stump.

After the last cat had sat down in the clearing, Lionstar began the meeting.

"As many of you know, last night I traveled to the Moonpool, or the small pool where you guys get your water. There StarClan gave me my nine lives and I'm officially your leader; Lionstar."

"Lionstar! Lionstar!" Heatherstorm called out, coming to sit beside her mate on the moss-lined tree stump.

Catching on, the others eventually started howling his name too, drowning out other sounds of the forest.

After calming down the group of cats Lionstar spoke again. "It is my duty now to appoint a deputy for our Clan."

The cats waited in an anxious silence as Lionstar went over his final decision.

"I say these words under the spirits of StarClan so they may hear and approve my choice. Thorn will be the new deputy of LeafClan."

Lionstar had the satisfaction of seeing the ginger tom's surprise as he came forward to stand beneath his leader.

"Thank you. I will try my hardest to serve you and my Clanmates." He meowed, and Lionstar knew he meant every word.

Resting his muzzle on Thorn's head, the tom stood dumbfounded and Lionstar whispered into his ear, "Lick my shoulder."

Thorn did as he was told, and when Lionstar backed away, the cats didn't need to be reminded to call out his name.

"Also, as new leader of this Clan I must give you all your proper Clan names." Lionstar continued, his fur glistening brightly against the rising sun.

"I, Lionstar, leader of LeafClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to lock down on these cats." Lionstar swept his gaze over the clearing of eager cats before continuing. "They have chosen the path of a Clan cat and I commend them to you as warriors in turn."

Beckoning six cats towards him he meowed, "Thorn, Stream, Smokey, Patches, Maple and Tiger. Do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do." They all meowed in unison, eyes gleaming in anticipation.

"Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior names. From this moment on you shall be known as Thornfoot, Streamleaf, Smokeclaw, Patchear, Mapleleaf and Tigerheart. StarClan honors all your enthusiasm and courage and welcome you as full warrior in turn."

Lionstar greeted each of them as warriors and quickly dismissed them back into the crowd.

Up until sunhigh Lionstar made new warriors, apprentices, and even gave the kits and elders official names.

After shouting the name of the last warrior, Lionstar meowed, "Now this is just the first step in becoming a Clan. We still have to organize camp and set borders. Also I need a hunting patrol out right now. Thornfoot, Streamleaf, Tigerheart, Clovertail and Patchear will you go hunt for you Clan? Oh, and while you're out keep in mind where the best hunting spots are for our territory along with obvious border marks."

Thornfoot nodded and waited by a clump of bracken for the others. Once everyone joined him, the tom turned and padded into the forest.

"What's next?" Heatherstorm queried, pressing up against her mate.

"A nice plump mouse and a very long nap." Lionstar meowed. "Because after that we have a _lot _of work to do."


	8. Making a Perfect Camp

**Hope you like this chapter! **

"You'll never catch me Dawnkit!" A white she-kit teased, bouncing around the camp.

"Oh ya, watch me!" Lionstar watched as the ginger she-kit bowled into her sister and the two wrestled around for a while.

Lying in a sunlit patch of grass, the tom rolled onto his back and stretched his muscles. The sun was already high in the sky, demolishing any traces of night that had still remained. A cool wind was rustling the leaves overhead and Lionstar watched as a hawk flew above him, gliding gracefully in the air.

Suddenly a loud thump interrupted his thoughts and Lionstar instantly got to his paws.

"Oh my gosh! Featherkit what did you do?" Tinykit meowed, his voice stringed with disbelief.

This instantly caught Lionstar's attention and he bounded over to where the kits were standing.

"What's going on?" The golden tom asked, trying to contain his temper.

Featherkit's blue eyes were wide with fear as she replied, "W-well, we were j-just play fighting when I leapt at Dawnkit. But then she moved and I… well, I did t-this." The she-kit stepped out of the way to find a hole in the backside of the stump.

Lionstar let out a loud purr, unable to contain his relief. "That's it?!" he asked, relieved nothing serious had happened.

Featherkit nodded, relaxing her stiff muscles.

"Well this is nothing to be worried about. But next time just be more careful or someone could've gotten hurt." Lionstar reminded them before sending them off to play in a soft patch of dirt where they wouldn't disturb anyone.

"Now what to do with this damage…" The tom murmured to no one in particular.

Unsheathing his claws, Lionstar carefully outstretched his paw to swipe away the broken wood on the stump. But to his surprise, his paw went right through the wood…it was hollow!

Suddenly the tom had an idea. Sitting on his hind legs, he reached up with both forepaws and scratched away a hole in the side of the stump, large enough for a cat to fit through easily.

"Perfect!" he exclaimed. "Now lets see what its like on the inside."

Warily, he padded in side. The strong scent of oak wafted through the tom's nostrils and he felt oddly comfortable. Turning in a circle, Lionstar decided this would be the perfect spot for his den. The walls were lined with moss and the ground under his paws was soft and grassy. There was plenty of room for three cats to fit contentedly so he knew that Heatherstorm could share it with him.

Walking out of his new den, Lionstar made his way over to the kits who were very occupied hunting a leaf.

"Featherkit can you come here a minute, I want you to see something." Lionstar meowed, guiding the kit with his tail.

Tinykit and Dawnkit sat in silence as their sister was led away.

"Am I in trouble?" the she-kit squeaked.

Lionstar let out a _mrrow_ of amusement. "Oh no, I actually wanted to thank you."

"Really?" she asked, instantly brightening up.

"Yep. You led me to a new den." Lionstar meowed, nudging her inside the stump.

The kit let out a gasp. "Wow its so big in here!" she exclaimed, sniffing around the stump.

Lionstar purred. "It is indeed. By the way, how old are you?"

"My siblings, Oakkit, and Applekit are all six moons old." Featherkit informed him proudly.

Lionstar nodded. Backing out of the den, he jumped onto the top of his stump.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather here beneath the Highstump for a Clan meeting."

Many of the cats were already in camp and the quickly came to sit beneath their leader. Looking around, Lionstar noticed Featherkit walking away, back towards her siblings. Deciding to surprise them, he watched as they sat in the sandy clearing eyes fixed on the large golden tom.

"I have been informed that some of our kits are actually old enough to become apprentices." Lionstar meowed, with a glance at Featherkit.

Instantly the she-kit perked up and bounded over to the group, grooming her fur vigorously.

Snowflower and Frostheart bounded over to their kits, grooming their fur until it gleamed in the sunlight. Meanwhile, Ravenfeather and Brownwhisker stood nearby, looking ready to burst with pride. Even they had neatly groomed fur.

"Featherkit, Dawnkit, Tinykit, Oakkit, and Applekit." Lionstar called out, resting his gaze on each cat. "You are all ready to become apprentices."

Nodding to the two white she-kits, Lionstar beckoned over his mate to stand beside him. "I will be mentor to Featherpaw. I promise to teach you all the skills I know." After touching noses with the enthusiastic kit, he continued, "Applepaw, your mentor will be Heatherstorm. She is a noble member of the Clan and will do her best to pass onto you all her knowledge."

After the two she-cats touched noses and returned to sit in the crowd, Lionstar went on to assign Thornfoot Oakpaw's mentor, Streamleaf as mentor to Tinypaw and Smokeclaw to Dawnpaw.

Together the Clan gathered around, calling out the names of the apprentices in congratulations.

"Featherpaw, you and Applepaw will come with Heatherstorm and I. We have many important tasks to perform.

The young she-cat looked ready to burst with excitement. Her white fur gleamed in the light and her blue eyes sparkled with anticipation. "I'll go get Applepaw right away!" she exclaimed, bounding away.

A tail ran down his back and Lionstar turned to see Heatherstorm standing beside him. "What's this about important tasks you speak of?" she queried.

"Setting up the camp, and border marking of course. Which reminds me." Glancing around the grassy clearing, he finally located the ginger tom he was looking for. Flicking his tail, Lionstar beckoned the deputy over.

"Yes Lionstar?" Thornfoot asked, Oakpaw at his side.

"I want you and Oakpaw to help me out. We need to make this camp more organized. Where do most cats sleep right now?" Lionstar queried.

"Well, many of us sleep in the log, but whoever can't fit in there typically just sleep in old badger dens or on the ground." Thornfoot replied.

Lionstar stared at him. He definitely had a lot of work to do if he planned to make them a true clan.

Nodding, Lionstar padded over to the fallen log. It was on the far edge of the camp, just to the left of the Highstump. Peering inside, the leader found it to be very roomy; big enough to fit about fifteen cats.

"This is very nice. It'll work brilliantly as a warriors den." Lionstar meowed. "From now on, all cats who aren't apprentices, queens, or elders will sleep in here."

Thornfoot nodded in understanding. "I'll tell everyone once we're done." He promised.

"Now, what should we do about an apprentices den?" The golden tom asked.

At that moment, Heatherstorm came over, followed by the two white apprentices.

"How's it going?" she asked.

"Nice, but we need to do something about an apprentices den, a nursery, and an elders den." Lionstar meowed, beginning to sound a little dejected by the amount of work still needing to be done.

"Actually I just came over here to talk to you about that. Dawnpaw seems to have found a good place for an apprentices den." Heatherstorm meowed, her blue eyes gleaming in amusement.

Lionstar stared at her curiously until he a short mew was heard in the distance. Glancing behind his mate, the tom looked to see Dawnpaw's usually groomed fur matted with dirt and mud.

By this time Heatherstorm's shoulders were shaking as she fought to control her laughter.

"What happened?" Lionstar asked, hoping his tone didn't relay his amusement.

"I tripped and fell into a hole." Dawnpaw muttered angrily, vigorously licking her fur.

"Thornfoot, would you show her the stream please and help her wash her fur?" Heatherstorm asked, beginning to gain back her senses.

The ginger tom nodded and led the apprentice past the fallen log and out into the dense green forest.

"Now, where's this apprentices den you speak of?"

Heatherstorm motioned for him to follow her and he padded behind her until they reached the center of camp, where she took a right and stopped on the far edge of the clearing.

"There." She meowed, flicking her tail towards a small hole in the ground."

Lionstar blinked.

The brown tabby let out a sigh. "Just crawl inside would ya?" she meowed, already wriggling herself through the hole.

Knowing that he was bigger than his mate Lionstar figured he wouldn't be able to fit through, considering the troubles the she-cat was having fitting herself through.

Carefully, he unsheathed his claws and removed some excess dirt around the entrance. When it was large enough for two warriors to fit through easily, he slid his claws back in and warily made his way to the bottom of a gentle slope.

Widening his eyes in surprise, Lionstar couldn't hide his astonishment. The hole was big enough for more than ten warriors to sleep in with room to spare. The walls were covered in dirt and lined with a thin layer of moss. Underfoot several blades of grass sprouted through, softening the loose ground even more. The roof went on another tail-length above Lionstar, making it easy to stand up and mobilize.

"This is perfect!" the golden tom exclaimed, nuzzling his mate. "Now all we need is a nursery, elders den and medicine cat den."

Heatherstorm gave him a suspicious look. "What are we using for warriors and the leader's den?" she asked.

Lionstar remembered with a jolt she still didn't know about that. Flicking his tail for her to follow, the tom gave her a quick look at the two dens before coming to sit by a large flat rock in the very center of the clearing.

"Well this can be used as a freshkill pile." Lionstar meowed, carefully examining the stone. "It's large, and flat enough to easily hold our prey."

Heatherstorm nodded in agreement, but her blue gaze was fixed on something in the distance. Suddenly, her eyes lit up and she bounded forward, directly in front of the stone they had just been sitting at.

Letting out a sigh, Lionstar stood and followed his mate across the clearing to the very tip of camp where the she-cat stood, briskly sniffing a very large stone.

Confused, Lionstar asked his mate about the importance of this finding.

"Don't you see? It could be the perfect medicine cat den! If we just move this rock in front, I bet the rest would be hollow and we could store herbs in there." Without waiting for an answer the light brown tabby began to nose a loose spot in the rock.

At last she managed to nudge away the loose stone, revealing as she guessed it, a hollowed rock. Across the walls were many crevices that were ideal for holding leaves and berries. Turning around a small stone corner, Lionstar emerged at a spot with several impressions in the ground, perfect for a medicine cat to sleep in, and treat their patients.

"You always do seem to find the best spots." Lionstar purred, licking his mate affectionately.

Heatherstorm returned the praise with a gentle lick on the ear before padding out of the cave-like den.

"So what-" the tabby was cut off as a small yowl came from a tortoiseshell queen, Lionstar recognized as Cherrypelt. The she-cat was bounding over to Lionstar, eyes glinting with excitement.

"Lionstar I think I know where the queens can say." The she-cat exclaimed. And without waiting for any response the she-cat padded away to the large cedar tree at the far left corner of camp.

Approaching the giant tree, Lionstar knew she was right. The tree was very old, its bark was pealing and its branches seemed to stretch endlessly into the sky. Even it's roots were huge, extending far above the ground, leaving a perfectly sheltered spot for a queen to nurse her kits.

"You're right Cherrypelt, great find. Now all we need is somewhere for the elders." Lionstar meowed, turning to his mate once more.

"What's wrong with the bush they sleep under right now?" Cherrypelt asked.

Lionstar turned to face the queen. "They already have a den?" he asked.

The she-cat nodded and flicked her tail towards a large holly bush on the edge of camp, just to the right of the freshkill pile.

"I guess that's settled then. We have an official camp for LeafClan!"

**Wow, that was a long chapter. Whew! And I'm proud to say three people correctly guessed the mystery StarClan warrior…Leafpool! Yes I know it's extremely sad she died but it'll all come together soon enough. Stay tuned for the announcing of the kit names, complimentary of Cloudstar11, Maplepelt and Lionpaw16. You guys rock!!**

**P.S. If you want everything to come together sooner, reviews might help! ; )**


	9. Allegiances

**Okay, so sorry about not posting an allegiances page before this, so I hope it helps clear things up! (At least you know it'll be current!)**

**Leader: **

Lionstar- golden tabby tom with amber eyes

Apprentice, Featherpaw

**Deputy: **

Thorn (Thornfoot)- Dark ginger tom with amber eyes

Apprentice, Oakpaw

**Medicine Cat:**

Songbird- black she-cat with bright blue eyes

**Warriors:**

Stream (Streamleaf)- silver tabby she-cat with green eyes

Apprentice, Tinypaw

Smokey (Smokeclaw)- dark black tom with blue eyes

Apprentice, Dawnpaw

Clover (Clovertail)- light brown tabby she-cat

Cloud (Cloudstorm)- fluffy white tom

Flame (Flamepelt)- ginger tom with white paws

Stormy (Stormcloud)- gray tom

Heatherstorm- light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Apprentice, Applepaw

Patches (Patchear)- white and black-patched tom

Raven (Ravenfeather)- sleek black tom

Apprentice, Spottedpaw

Brownie (Brownwhisker)- brown tom with amber eyes

Tiger (Tigerheart)- dark brown tabby tom with green eyes

Apprentice, Patchpaw

Star (Starfrost)- lithe ginger and white she-cat with blue eyes

Mist (Mistpool)- silver she-cat

Apprentice, Poppypaw

Sunny (Sunstorm)- dark ginger she-cat

**Apprentices:**

Poppy (Poppypaw)- ginger she-cat with white patches, green eyes

Spots (Spottedpaw)- tortoiseshell and white she-cat with blue eyes

Patch (Patchpaw)- gray and white tom

Feather (Featherpaw)- white she-cat with bright blue eyes

Tiny (Tinypaw)- black tom

Dawn (Dawnpaw)- ginger and white she-cat, green eyes

Apple (Applepaw)- white she-cat, light green eyes

Oak (Oakpaw)- dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

**Queens: **

Cherry (Cherrynose)- Tortoiseshell she-cat, Mate of Stormcloud

Kits: Mousekit, Willowkit

Snow (Snowflower)- Pretty white she-cat with green eyes, Mate of Ravenfeather

Frost (Frostheart)- Pure white she-cat, Mate of Brownwhisker

Maple (Mapleleaf)- light brown tabby she-cat, Mate of Patchear

**Elders: **

Rose (Rosepetal)- ginger she-cat

Berry (Berrystem)- cream-colored tom

Milk (Milkfur)- white tom with black paws, the oldest cat in LeafClan

Rain (Raindapple)- gray tom


	10. Surprising Borders

**Okay, on my allegiances page I know I added Songbird, but you'll meet her in this chapter. Also, Lionstar's entrance to his den is facing the camp not the woods. Sorry I didn't clarify that. If you have any more questions, please do ask, as I'll gladly clear things up. Enjoy this chapter!**

_Disclaimer: Last time I looked into the mirror, I wasn't any of the Erin Hunters._

"Psst. Lionstar? Are you awake? I wanted to go training."

The golden tom let out a groan and rolled onto his back. Heatherstorm stirred beside him and let out a hiss of annoyance at being woken up so early.

Only faint signs of dawn were breaking through the horizon, and stars still sparkled in the sky, only slightly fading. Walking to the entrance of his den, the tom could oversee the entire camp and no one seemed to be awake yet.

As Lionstar fully came out of his den, a weight landed on his back causing him to loose his balance and stumble over.

"What the-" he called, standing up to shake his ruffled fur.

He heard a loud purr of amusement and whirled around to see his mate crawling out of the den to stand beside Featherpaw.

"I'm going to get you guys for that." He threatened with mock anger. "But since we're all up why don't you go ahead and get Applepaw and we can get a head start. And be sure to grab a bite to eat!" Lionstar added with a glance at the freshkill pile.

The golden tom was surprised to see how quickly these cats had adapted to Clan life and were starting to get the hang of hunting patrols.

"Come on, let's get something to eat." Heatherstorm suggested, guiding her mate towards the enticing scents of prey.

Unfortunately to his dismay a voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Lionstar we're back!" a cheerful voice called, and the strong scent of mouse flooded the tom's nostrils as he turned to see their apprentices running towards them. "Can we go yet?" Featherpaw asked, her paws kneading at the ground impatiently.

The tom was sure they had eaten while hunting instead of thinking of the Clan first but decided to let it slide.

Instead, Lionstar looked up at the sky, which was tinted with orange as the sun slowly made its way into the sky. The giant round sphere was barely visible through the treetops, its light struggling to break through the barriers of leaves. Throughout the camp shadows danced under the new shine and all signs of darkness had officially faded away.

"I suppose we can in a minute." Lionstar meowed, ignoring the hunger pains that gnawed at his belly.

Padding over to his den, the golden tom bunched his muscles and sprang, landing neatly on top of the stump.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather here beneath the Highstump for a clan meeting." Lionstar's voice echoed off the swaying branches all around the camp.

Quickly, everyone padded out of their dens, many yawning with exhaustion. Lionstar watched as Featherpaw and Applepaw went to sit beside their siblings. Next to them were Thornfoot, Stream and Tiger.

Looking to his left Lionstar noticed Patchear coming out of the warrior's den followed by Flamepelt and Cloudstorm. The golden tom could here them complaining about being woken up so early as they made their way to sit at the back of the group, talking in hushed whispers.

Maplepelt was emerging from the safe roots of the nursery, followed by Cherrypelt and her kits. Suddenly, a black streak from behind what was going to be the medicine den caught his amber eyes and he squinted to make out the shape. But in the blink of an eye it was gone, leaving Lionstar dumbfounded.

_I was sure I saw something… _the golden tom thought. He could almost feel himself being watched from a distance and the thought of it made him shudder.

"What are we waiting for?" Came an annoyed his from the group and Lionstar let out a sigh as he recognized Patchear. That tom really must learn patience.

"I've called you all here to let you know an important job must be accomplished today; the setting of our borders. I will need cats that know this land the best to come with me as we set a reasonable amount of territory for LeafClan. I'll need to patrols to be set out. One I will lead, Heatherstorm the other. This way we can teach you how to mark them" The golden tom announced, his amber eyes gazing over Thornfoot.

The dark ginger tom nodded and stood to sit directly in front. "I will go on the patrol with Lionstar along with Oakpaw, Ravenfeather, Sunstorm and Streamleaf. Heatherstorm will be taking along Starfrost, Flamepelt, Brownwhisker and Patchear."

Lionstar nodded from where he stood above his den. "Very well. But I noticed that the freshkill pile is low. We'll need some cats to restock it while we're at."

His deputy nodded. "I've decided that Tigerheart, Cloudstorm, Mistpool, Clovertail and their apprentices could hunt for us."

Lionstar voiced his approval before padding over to wait by the camp entrance near the apprentice's den. After Thornfoot had been told the regular duties of a deputy, Lionstar noticed he'd been taking the role very seriously. Fur ruffed out with pride; the golden tom couldn't help but think what loyal cats he had to lead.

Noticing that the sun was shining steadily in the sky now, directly above the camp, Lionstar realized they needed to hurry if they planned to mark an entire territory today.

At last the others joined him and Lionstar set out into the forest, his apprentice and mate at his side.

"Once we reach the treaded path just outside the forest, I'll turn left and you'll go right. Mark our borders at noticeable spots and I'll meet you at the Moonpool at dusk." The golden tom meowed to his mate.

Heatherstorm nodded. "Sounds good. I know we'll have a reasonable amount of territory, this forest is huge!" she exclaimed, glancing around at the endless amount of trees, and bushes surrounding them. "It's much more safer than the open moors of WindClan." The she-cat let out a shudder at the memory of her open camp.

Lionstar nodded in understanding. He knew his mate had been very unhappy living in her vulnerable camp, and was glad she found this place to be suitable.

At last the undergrowth thinned out, and the trees grew farther apart, allowing sunlight to make its way through the leafy barrier and warm the pelts of the traveling cats.

Scenting the air, Lionstar could taste the open-air smell of the mountainside ahead of them. Suddenly anxious, the tom raced ahead of the others to emerge on a treaded down path alongside a gentle mountain slope. Rocks and crags could be spotted all around, dotted with a few sparse gorse bushes along the hill. In the distance a waterfall could be spotted and Lionstar assumed that was where the stream came from.

A loud rustling broke the leader from his thoughts and he turned to see his clanmates emerging through the bushes.

"Wow, I've never been this far before!" Featherpaw exclaimed, taking in the scene with wide curious eyes.

Applepaw quickly joined her, equally as intrigued. "This is amazing! The world never ends." She exclaimed drawing in a deep breath.

"Well, we'd better be going our separate ways." Heatherstorm mewed.

Lionstar nodded. "I'll see you at dusk." He meowed, giving his mate a lick on the ear as she took off to the right along with her patrol of cats.

"I'm going to go ahead and mark our edge of land here." The tom meowed, marking the border alongside the edge of path. After he had finished, he continued following beside the path, keeping to his side of the border.

Looking around for obvious markers, Lionstar noticed his apprentice padding beside him, flicking her tail anxiously. Bending down he whispered, "If you want, run ahead with Oakpaw and see if you can find somewhere to end our borders."

The white she-cat's eyes lit up with excitement and she eagerly darted ahead alongside the brown tom, growing out of sight in seconds.

Purring in amusement, Lionstar slowed his pace to match his step with Thornfoots'.

"Any idea where to set the next border?" His deputy asked.

"Well up ahead, the path veers off to the right while the forest keeps going." Lionstar told him, recalling his first journey up here. "I thought we'd put a marker up by the turn then keep going until we reach an obvious spot to mark the border." The leader continued, looking ahead into the distance. He could vaguely see where the path curved off, deeper into the slope of the mountain.

Thornfoot nodded. "Sounds good to-" The ginger tom was cut off by a loud screech up ahead, followed by a vicious snarl.

Lionstar's heart dropped. That sounded like Featherpaw! Instantly alarmed, he darted forward, the forest flashing by in a blur as he was blinded by undeniable fear and rage.

At last the hissing seemed to be coming closer and he sprinted ahead urging his restless muscles to go just a little further. Suddenly, he emerged from a bramble bush and catapulted into a large sandy clearing.

Getting to his paws, he glanced around the clearing that eerily reminded him of the sandy hollow back in ThunderClan. It was very large and surrounded by many thickets of bramble. Kneading his paws into the ground he discovered it to be sturdy, but soft, and decided this to be the perfect place for battle training.

A loud snarl broke the tom from his thoughts and he whirled around to see Featherpaw and Oakpaw cornering a small black she-cat.

Flicking his tail, he quieted the apprentices and went to stand in front of the trespasser.

"Who are you and what are you doing on our territory?" He demanded.

The she-cat dipped her head. "My name is Song, and I believe you're the cats I've been dreaming about."

**What will happen to this newcomer? Will Lionstar allow her to join LeafClan? Honestly its not a hard question; if he wasn't I wouldn't have mentioned her, duh. Also the allegiances page and my authors note was probably a hint… Anyways, please remember to review; I love seeing your opinions!!**


	11. Singing Birds

**AN: Okay, in this chapter you'll learn all about Song and you'll meet with a ThunderClan cat… I won't tell you anything else though, you just have to read and find out!! (And then review!) Oh, and where I said the path bent to the left… well it actually goes to the right, sorry about that!**

Disclaimer:_ Evil lawyer ready to sue_- Do you own warriors?

_Me_ - Are cats purple? (Get the point? …)

Lionstar could feel everyone's eyes on him as they waited to see his reaction.

_What is she talking about? _The golden tom wondered._ How could she be dreaming about- _suddenly he had a jolt of realization. She was sent by StarClan!

"Will you please explain these dreams?" The LeafClan leader asked, even though he could guess what they were like.

"Well, many different cats came to me in a dream. They said they were previous medicine cats and that now it was my turn to serve in their paw-steps. A tortoiseshell told me that I would find a group of mountain-forest cats that are in need of my services. She instructed me to find the lion and serve the leaf." Song meowed, looking not the least bit intimidated.

The tom nodded. He was right. "Well Spottedleaf, the cat in your dream, told you right. I am Lionstar the leader of these cats, and I offer you to join LeafClan as a medicine cat." He meowed, holding his head up in dignity.

As a cool breeze blew gently through the sandy hollow, Lionstar's large muscles rippled through his golden pelt that was shining in the sun, making him look like a true leader.

At last the she-cat dipped her head. "I would be honored." She meowed, her eyes gleaming with pride and anticipation. "But I noticed you guys were in the middle of something and I'd hate to interrupt." She meowed, pawing the ground apprehensively.

"Actually we were setting up our borders right now. Thornfoot, Oakpaw and Featherpaw would you go back and mark the rest of the path? We'll wait here for you until you return.

The ginger deputy nodded and guided the apprentices out of the clearing, following the route they had just traveled.

When the tip of his tail disappeared behind the bushes Lionstar meowed, "So are you who I saw this morning sitting behind the stone?" he queried.

The black cat blushed. "Yes that would've been me. I figured I had found you, but then got nervous at the large amount of cats and decided to wait until your patrol came and found me." She meowed slightly embarrassed.

The tom nodded in understanding. "I see. So how much do you know about herbs and healing wounds?" Lionstar was curious as to how much this she-cat had to learn. He knew that a Clan could only be true with a proper medicine cat, and with possible dangers lurking about, there was no way LeafClan could last without help from the cat closest with their ancestors.

"Well I've been learning a lot through my dreams. I can treat basic battle wounds and I know many of the herbs, however I'm still learning about broken bones and diseases." Song admitted.

Lionstar nodded. At least if a fight happened the cats wouldn't go untreated.

Suddenly a white blur flashed through the clearing and somersaulted forward, landing in a cloud of dust.

"We're back!" Featherpaw called, shaking her now dusty pelt.

Getting to his paws, Lionstar beckoned the group out of the hollow and back on the path. It was only a little ways before it suddenly bent to the right, and thick forest lay in front of them. Marking on the curve, Lionstar continued straight looking for a place to end the border.

"How about there?" Featherpaw suggested, reading his mind.

Lionstar looked to where she was pointing and noticed a large oak tree nearby, rising high above the other trees in the forest. Just outside of the forest where it grew was a boulder covered in moss.

"Perfect." The tom purred, bounding ahead to mark the territory.

When his patrol finished, Lionstar turned left, following a thick line of brambles the skirted the edge of the territory. Along the way he stopped every once in awhile to make his scent markers.

Glancing up in the sky, which was now getting darker by the minute, Lionstar realized they had no time to waste if they wanted to meet Heatherstorm and the others at the stream. To his relief though he could hear it swirling in the distance and he found himself standing at the end of his territory on soft grass.

Opening his mouth, he could scent the others and padded forward until he met up with his mate and her patrol.

"How'd it go?" He asked, licking her cheek.

"Very well. But I think we'll need to think of names to call the borders. At home we bordered other Clans… but here we're all alone." The she-cat pointed out.

Lionstar nodded, he knew she was right. "Well how about we call them 'paths'? The side of the forest over there will be the Bramblepath." The tom meowed, flicking his tail towards the way he had come. "And the mountain side that we split up at can be called the Dirtpath. Right here will be Streampath and…" Lionstar stopped since he didn't know what to name the other side of their territory.

"We'll call it the Oakpath. I swear I've never seen that many oak trees in my life!" the she-cat exclaimed.

Lionstar purred in amusement. "It sounds perfect. I'll announce it to everyone along with the news of our new member, Song."

Heatherstorm stared at him. "You mean StarClan sent us a medicine cat?!" she asked, her blue eyes wide with shock.

He nodded. "Yes. I'll explain everything in the Clan meeting. Now let's get back to camp, there's a lot of news that needs to be shared." With that the tom led the others back to camp, emerging just by the Warrior's den.

A while later, once the moon was shining brightly in the dimmed sky, he called a Clan meeting, announcing the borders. Many cats nodded in approval, happy to have official land of their own.

"In other news we have a new member. It is necessary for a Clan to have a faithful medicine cat and StarClan have sent us the perfect one." Lionstar's gaze held fixed on Song's as he was mesmerized in her glossy black fur. Her green eyes gleamed in excitement and he could see the reflection of stars in them.

Flicking his tail, Lionstar motioned for the she-cat to come forward as he jumped off the Highstump to stand in the front of the group.

Looking at the graceful way she walked, Lionstar was quickly reminded of the fluent way a hawk glided overhead. He knew he had the perfect name for her.

"I, Lionstar, leader of LeafClan, call upon our warrior ancestors to look down on this cat. She has promised to train hard to understand the ways of a medicine cat, and with your help she will serve her Clan for many moons."

The familiar words echoed throughout the clearing as the she-cat waited patiently for her new name. Moonlight shone on her sleek pelt, making it glisten against the forest.

"Song, do you promise to uphold the ways of a medicine cat, to stand apart from rivalry between cats and to protect all cats equally, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do." Song promised solemnly, even though she had just recently been informed of the ways of a medicine cat.

"Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your true medicine cat name. Song, from this moment you will be known as Songbird. StarClan honors your dedication and faith. You have been chosen by StarClan themselves to serve for LeafClan and we all have faith in you to do your best."

"I will." Songbird replied, licking her leader's shoulder like she had been instructed to do.

"Songbird! Songbird!" The Clan called out.

Lionstar looked around the starlit clearing, his gaze held proudly as he realized that they were now a true Clan. And best of all, everything was peaceful…

**Okay, it was kind of shorter but oh well. I figured that was a good stopping point. Oh, and I know I promised a confrontation with one of ThunderClan's beloved, but you'll have to wait until the next chapter. **

**P.S. It might come quicker if some people would, oh I don't know um… REVIEW MY STORY!! FOR CRYIN OUT LOUD PEOPLE JUST PRESS THE BUTTON AND TYPE! YOU'VE GOT FINGERS, SO USE THEM!! Thank you! **


	12. Danger Ahead

AN: Because I enjoy writing for this story, I figured I'd add another chapter

**AN: Because I enjoy writing for this story, I figured I'd add another chapter. Enjoy!**

_Disclaimer- Do I even have to say it?_

As a cold wind ruffled his fur, the tom let out a hiss and got to his paws. His mate wasn't in his den, and her nest was cold so he figured she had been up for a while. Letting out a sigh, he padded out into camp.

What little sun shone in the sky was already nearing its peak. But no matter how much it shone, the warm rays it usually gave off seemed to be far away. Instead many gray clouds hovered in front of it, shadowing the camp and dampening a cheerful mood.

Padding over to the freshly stocked freshkill pile, Lionstar realized Thornfoot must have already sent out patrols for the morning. Pulling out a juicy squirrel, he tore into it ravenously, finishing it off and a couple of bites.

While grooming his fur, the tom looked around the camp. At the nursery, Maplepelt was looking plumper than ever, and Lionstar realized that she'd probably be giving birth within a day or two. Near the apprentices' den, Featherpaw and her friends tussled around, completely crushing the camp barrier as they played.

Getting to his paws, Lionstar padded over to his apprentice. "Now, how many of you guys know how to hunt?" he asked.

The three older apprentices; Poppypaw, Spottedpaw and Patchpaw all came forward. "We do!" they meowed in unison.

The leader nodded. "Very well then. I shall talk to your mentors about giving you an assessment today. You look quite old enough to become full warriors."

Their eyes lit up with joy at the prospect of it all. "Thank you Lionstar!" Spottedpaw meowed, dipping her head. "I'll go eat now so I won't be on an empty stomach." Her friends meowed in agreement and together they bounded off towards the pile of prey, their tail flicking in anticipation.

Lionstar let out a purr of amusement before turning back to the other apprentices. "As for you guys, you seem very keen on fighting so I'd like to teach you a couple of moves. I spoke with your mentors last night and they agreed. We'll be starting at sun-high so you'd better be ready."

Eyes gleaming with excitement, the apprentices sprinted off to get a quick bite to eat, eager to start their training.

Deciding to go get their mentors now, Lionstar bounded up to his den and sprang, landing precisely on his perch.

"I need for all cats with apprentices to meet with me here beneath the Highstump for a Clan meeting." Lionstar meowed, changing around the familiar words to a more fitting phrase.

As all eight warriors gathered the golden tom began, "Now Ravenfeather, Tigerheart and Mistpool," he started, glancing at all three cats, "your apprentices are getting a hunting test today. If they pass, then I'll evaluate their fighting skills and see if they're ready to become full warriors."

Even the mentors' eyes were wide with pride at the thought of their apprentices graduating up. "That sounds great." Mistpool purred, happy for her apprentice.

"Well sure hunting is easy but what kind of battle moves are we talking about?" Ravenfeather queried, sounding doubtful.

"Basic fighting moves. Even though no other cats are around, we must be able to protect ourselves from other predators." Lionstar meowed, seeming to come through the black tom who nodded and sat down.

"Now, its close to sunhigh now so I need all apprentices to come here." The golden cat meowed, glancing over at the flat stone where the small cats were listening in on the conversation anyways. Immediately, Featherpaw got up and raced to the meeting, skidding to a stop in front of her mentor. Beside her was Applepaw who looked equally impatient as she kneaded her paws into the ground. The others followed more slowly, taking a seat beside their littler mates.

"I'm not sure what kind of battle moves you usually learn but I'll teach you everything I know from the Clans. So if all of you would follow me, we can get going." The tom meowed, jumping off his den to walk beside his mate.

Once they reached the training arena, Lionstar and Heatherstorm took their places in the center of the sandy hollow.

"We'll show you just a basic fight so you get a general idea of our fighting methods." Lionstar addressed the cats, including all the warriors.

With that, he crouched low to the ground, his back turned on the cats, and sprang at his mate, aiming for her back. When he flew over her head, he twisted in the air and landed squarely on her shoulders, facing the others. Giving a quick nip to her ear he then jumped off and faced her, growling with mock anger.

This time she ran towards him, sheathed paws stretched out, and threw herself at his paws. Caught off guard, the large tom stumbled, and reached out with a paw to scrape it down her side as she darted away. Luckily, he caught himself just before he hit the ground and bowled over his mate, pinning her to the ground by her neck.

"See how that worked?" Heatherstorm meowed, getting up to shake her fur. "Now I want Applepaw and Featherpaw to try it."

Eagerly, the apprentices got to their paws and took their positions.

Circling each other, Featherpaw finally sprang forward, her eyes aiming for her shoulders. Thinking to get out of the way, Applepaw scooted to the left, only to be caught off guard as the white she-cat landed on her back. Pushing off with her hind legs, Featherpaw kicked Applepaw over while catapulting herself forward.

The other apprentice scrabbled to her paws and nipped at her friend's paws gently. Moving quickly, she managed to dart between the white feet and unbalance Featherpaw, pinning her down.

"Great job!" Lionstar praised. "You did excellent for your first practice. Now this time I'm going to teach you how to barrel someone over even if they're bigger than you. Heatherstorm however, will be demonstrating how to quickly unbalance someone. Warriors, you can join in too, we need all the practice we can get." The golden tom meowed.

Slightly shyly, the older cats made their way over to the two cats. Thornfoot, Smokeclaw, Dawnpaw and Oakpaw made their way over to Lionstar while Streamleaf and Tinypaw padded over to Heatherstorm.

Working until dusk, Lionstar finally called it a day and padded wearily back to camp.

"They did very well." Heatherstorm meowed, as she took a bite of the rabbit they were sharing. "The apprentices caught on fast too." Her blue eyes were gleaming with pride at the excellent battle skills Applepaw had shone.

Lionstar nodded, his mouth full. Featherpaw had done well also, but Applepaw did exceptionally good. He would have to spend extra time with his apprentice if he wanted her to exceed.

Looking into the clear black sky, lionstar realized how tired he really was.

"I think I'll head to bed." He meowed, letting out a huge yawn. "Tomorrow we have to do more training. Even the warriors need to brush up on their skills."

Getting to her paws, Heatherstorm meowed her agreement. "I know. It's like some of them never had to lift a claw before." She meowed incredulously.

Lionstar nodded, too dreary to speak. Instead he padded forward in silence, at last reaching the comforting nest of his den. Curling up into a tight ball, he rest his head on his paws and shut his eyes, eager for a good night's sleep.

Lionstar awoke, finding himself back in the medicine cat's den in the ThunderClan camp. The strong scent of herbs and berries overwhelmed him, and he didn't even notice when Jayfeather approached him.

"Greetings." He meowed, dipping his head.

Lionstar whirled around to let out a sigh of relief at the sight of his brother. "Hello. What brings you here? I thought only StarClan cats could visit dreams." His amber eyes gleamed with curiosity.

"I've been granted a gift from StarClan, the ability to visit dreams… during which I can see." The gray tom admitted.

Lionstar looked at him and realized his eyes no longer looked glazed over; instead they were bright and shining. However their depths held something unreadable to the golden tom, and he wondered what worries hid behind their deceiving look.

"So what have you come to me for?" Lionstar queried once more.

"I've come to tell you that the Clans are in grave danger. Tigerstar has been reincarnated as Tigerpaw; Tawnypelt's kit. He and the reincarnation of Hawkfrost have taken over ShadowClan, RiverClan and WindClan with the help of some BloodClan rogues. Now ThunderClan is all that remains. But we've fought so many battles there isn't a wounded cat in the camp. In fact Firestar has already passed because of the lives that were taken from him during these fights. You and LeafClan are our only hope. You must come back and save us from their evil wrath." Jayfeather pleaded, his eyes full of anxiety and distress.

Lionstar's mind whirled with the realization of it all. The cat that had helped him train so many times, turned out to be just as evil as the stories sad. just the thought of his dark tabby pelt, and ambitious amber eyes made the golden tom want to hurl. He fought to stifle the flame burning within him. Claws unsheathed, he let out a yowl and shredded the ground underfoot. How could he have trusted such a vile cat?

"So does this mean you'll help?" Jayfeather asked, his blue pools full of hope.

Lionstar nodded determinedly. "I'd give every last life to kill that no good piece of crow-food." The tom hissed, his teeth bore back in a vicious snarl. And deep down, he knew that he meant every word.

**AN: Wow, you probably didn't expect that one did ya? Well, maybe you did but oh well. Anyways, I hope you liked the chapter. And please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, PLEASE REVIEW!! I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH PEOPLE. Almost two thousand people have opened this story, and yet only 32 of them reviewed!! &#()(&)(+# What the heck!? I mean, you already clicked on it so you may as well read it. And if you read it, you might as well prove it by reviewing! So for the love of…of….anything you love please review!!1**


	13. Preparations

**AN: I bet that last chapter left you wondering! But I have to say that this chapter won't be nearly as good. It's just about some preparations and stuff. However it is important because, well, it just is. Hope you like it!**

**P.S. Congrats to Cloudstar, Lionpaw16, and Moontail001 for correctly guessing the unnamed cats…Leafpool and Stormfur! Yay! (Not that they died, but that the authors guessed them right) because of that they each named a kit of Maplepelt's so watch for it!**

**P.S.S I'm going to try doing first person POV because of my story Love Struck. I decided to try something different this time… I felt I could get in more of his thoughts this way too.**

Opening my eyes, I found that I was back in the comfort of my own den with Heatherstorm sleeping soundly beside me. The moon was starting to fade away with the coming of dawn and a faint light could be detected over the horizon. Other than a few remaining stars, the sky was clear and not a cloud was in sight. It was almost too happy for me considering the terrible news I'd received last night that was making my mind whirl.

_How could this be?_ I wondered anxiously. _I left the clans only a moon ago and yet already disaster has occurred. _Suddenly a painful thought occurred. _If Firestar and Leafpool have already died, then how many others have passed away?_ My heart ached at the thought of losing my family and I felt sudden rage towards the being that caused it. All night I had tried to convince myself that it was nothing but a nightmare but I knew my brother too well. Plus, no matter how much I wanted to deny it, everything made since.

Tigerstar and Hawkfrost had stopped visiting me a while before and now I knew why; they had been reincarnated. I shook my head in fury at the thought of those no good pieces of mousedung. To think I had looked up to them!

My mate stirred beside me and I knew I had to control my temper. Letting out a sigh, I padded into the dimly lit clearing and drew in a deep breath. The forest scent was edged with prey and I knew good hunting would come today. Padding to the center of camp, I nosed through the remains of the freshkill pile and sighed when only a measly mouse was left.

Hunger getting the best of me, I settled for the small catch and finished it ravenously. While washing my whiskers I noticed Thornfoot padding out of the warrior's den. Instantly I called him over.

"Thornfoot, I'm glad you're awake. Can you go get Heatherstorm for me? I have some important news to tell you both." I meowed anxiously. He stared at me for a moment before nodding.

"Yes Lionstar." He meowed, bounding to my den.

_How am I supposed to tell my new clan that I have to leave? What if they think that I'm going away forever? _I sighed. There were so many problems yet there seemed to be only one solution.

"What is it?" my mate mewed worriedly, coming over to sit down beside Thornfoot.

I took a deep breath. Quietly, I explained that the old Clans were in danger of Tigerstar's rule.

I heard my mate gasp at the news of WindClan's conquered. "That's terrible!" she exclaimed, her once shining eyes now filled with pain and concern.

I nodded, coming over to sit beside her comfortingly. "I know. And that's why I think we should go back. Right now Thunderclan is the only one who's remained strong but not for much longer and Tigerstar knows that. We must travel quickly in order to save the Clans."

The brown she-cat nodded in agreement and I looked over at Thornfoot. He'd remained silent throughout the talk and I was anxious to hear his opinion.

At last he nodded. "It pains me to see you guys leave so soon but I know that it's for the best. If anything happened to my family I'd go too."

My heart warmed up to his understanding and I let out a purr. "Great. I'll announce it everyone else immediately. We have a lot of preparations to make if we plan to leave soon."

"Um, Lionstar." Meowed a voice, and I turned to see the apprentice Spottedpaw padding towards me. "Can I go hunting this morning? I'm hungry and there isn't any food. Patchpaw and Poppypaw will come too." The she-cat suggested.

I opened my mouth to agree but Thornfoot spoke first. "I'm sorry, I forgot to organize patrols. Spottedpaw, go wake up Ravenfeather, Tigerheart and Mistpool and have them take you out. I don't want you alone in the forest."

I knew that he was worried about Tigerstar coming here but I didn't stop him. It was better to be safe than dead.

The tortoiseshell dipped her head. "Okay. I'll get them now." She meowed before bounding away.

I let out a purr then suddenly something hit me. "Thornfoot, how old are they?" I asked curiously.

"Oh about nine moons. Why?"

I nodded. "I think they're ready to become warriors. Can you go tell their mentors that today's hunt is their final assessment? Tell them to watch them hunt but don't be seen. Also I want this to be a surprise for the them so make sure that the apprentices don't know they're being assessed." I meowed, deciding they were ready to be official warriors. I had only been with LeafClan a short time but during the battle training the other day I knew they were ready.

The deputy nodded and got to his paws, heading back to the fallen log to inform the other warriors of the news. Deciding to wait until after their test to call the meeting, I instead decided to determine who was coming with me.

"Heatherstorm," I meowed, calling to my mate, "who is going to come home with me?"

I waited nervously as she stayed silent; the only response I received was a blink. "When _you_ go home?" she meowed flatly.

I nodded. "I've been thinking about this lately and I feel its best if you stay here. I can't think of any other cat I trust more to watch over the Clan." I meowed, hoping she'd understand.

Once more she said nothing for a long while. "You don't want me to get hurt…right?" she meowed at last.

I shook my head. I was hoping she wouldn't guess that but I wished in vain. "I can't risk losing you." I whispered, licking her lightly on the ear. "And I need you to watch over LeafClan while I'm gone."

I felt myself visibly relax when she meowed, okay. "Great! Now who will travel with me?" I had been thinking a lot about this and was desperate for her help.

"I believe that Smokefoot should come for sure. He has Clan blood within him and I think that he should go with you." Heatherstorm meowed, looking thoughtful.

I had been thinking the same thing and nodded. "Good idea. I think that Streamleaf and Tigerheart should come too. It'd be nice to have some friends along."

"Why don't you take Patchear, Flamepelt and Cloudstorm with you as well. Maybe they'll warm up to the idea of a Clan if they experience the thrill of it personally."

As much as I didn't look forward to traveling with them, what my mate said made since. "I suppose you're right. How about Ravenfeather and Clovertail too?"

"Of course I'm right. And those two sound like perfect choices. But I must tell you, I went hunting with Sunstorm and Mistpool and they were excellent. They'd be great hunters to come on your journey. Plus they're just so kind. They remind me a lot of Hollyfrost actually." The brown warrior meowed.

Counting in my head, I realized we had a total ten warriors coming on the journey back home. "I guess that's everyone then. I just saw Tigerheart come into camp with Mistpool and Ravenfeather so the apprentices must be done hunting. I'll go call the meeting now."

I lazily got to my paws and stretched my muscles, looking at the sun that was shining brightly above me. A single cloud drifted overhead and I sighed. The day looked too peaceful to think that just beyond the forest evil lurked in every shadow.

Licking my golden fur clean, I sprang on top of my den and yowled the familiar words to start a meeting.

Heatherstorm and Thornfoot gathered beneath me, looking at me with a knowing gaze. Cherrynose padded out of the nursery, sitting beside Willowkit and Mousekit. Out of the hole in the ground came my own apprentice and her siblings, followed by Applepaw and Oakpaw. Seating in the back of the group were Patchear and his followers and I sighed, wishing the toms would warm up to me.

Watching in amusement, I waited as the older apprentices ran into camp and deposited their prey before quickly grooming their ruffled fur and joining the group.

Seeing that everyone was gathered, I started the meeting. "Today is a proud day for LeafClan. We have three apprentices that are ready to be warriors. Tigerheart, Mistpool and Ravenfeather, are your apprentices ready to become full warriors?" I asked.

I noticed all of their eyes shining with pride as Tigerheart spoke up for them. "They have trained hard and are ready to serve this clan to the utmost."

I nodded. I could feel excitement coming of the three apprentices coming off in waves as they stood anxiously before me.

"I, Lionstar, leader of LeafClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these three apprentices." My voice rang out high above the rustle of leaves blowing above me. "They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code and I commend them to you as warriors in turn. Spottedpaw, Poppypaw, and Patchpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your lives?"

"I do!" they all called out eagerly, and I could see enthusiasm gleaming in their eyes.

I waited for a few moments, letting them soak in the realization of this moment. Seeing them waiting anxiously I continued.

"Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior names," I went on. "Spottedpaw, from this moment on you'll be known as Spottednose."

I jumped off my ledge to rest my muzzle on her head as she gently licked my shoulder. Continuing with the ceremony, I made Poppypaw, Poppyleaf and Patchpaw, Patchclaw.

"Spottednose! Poppyleaf! Patchclaw!" everyone called out, rushing forward to greet the newly named warriors. Once the noise died down, my Clan looked up at me when I was still standing on my perch.

"I have some important news to share." I meowed, explaining the dream I had with my brother.

Instantly yowls of worry and distress sounded from around me and I struggled to speak once more.

"I've decided that I must go help my fellow Clanmates, as it would only be fair. I've already determined who's coming with also."

As I named off the list of people who were coming, I was easily entertained by their reactions. Smokeclaw perked up with pride as his name was called, as did Streamleaf and Tigerheart. Others like Mistpool, Clovertail, Sunstorm, and Ravenfeather seemed utterly shocked that they were chosen for such an important mission. As I finished off the list, I watched Patchear perk his ears at the sound of his name and he blinked at me.

I gave him a warm glance and he let his shoulders relax, but I could tell he was still suspicious. "I've chosen all of you for many different reasons, but on one common ground; you're all loyal and trustworthy and I feel that you're the right cats to make this journey with me." I think that line alone made them feel more important because they quickly licked down their fur and stood taller.

"While I'm gone, Heatherstorm and Thornfoot will be in charge." I cast a grateful glance at the warriors before continuing. "Everyone who is coming with me I'd like to stay here with me, but the others can return to their duties."

As the others broke apart, I glanced over every cat that had been chosen to come and knew I made the right choices.

"Because of the urgency in this situation, I think we should leave as soon as possible. Tomorrow at dawn we shall start to travel home so I need you all to eat well and rest. We have at least a week's journey ahead of us so I want everyone to be rested. Also, be sure to see Songbird for traveling herbs." Deciding that everything had been said, I dismissed the cats and jumped off the stump. I looked around for my mate, wanting to spend more time with her, but found her nowhere.

"Hey Featherpaw," I meowed to my apprentice who'd come up beside me, "Have you seen Heatherstorm?"

She nodded. "She's in the nursery helping Songbird with Maplepelt's birth. But I need to talk to you about-"

I broke her off with a hasty thanks before bounding off to the nursery. Crawling under the protective cover of roots, the sweet scent of milk wafted into my nostrils and I turned to see Maplepelt sitting with three kits beside her belly.

"Aren't they beautiful?" murmured my mate who was lying at the queens side. "What are their names?"

The queen looked thoughtful a minute before replying. "I believe the white tom will be Blizzardkit." She meowed, "And the light brown she-cat Poolkit."

"What about that one?" I meowed, pointing with my tail to the last kit.

"I'm not sure yet." She admitted, staring at her kit. "But I'll let you know in the morning. Meanwhile, you and Heatherstorm better get ready. I heard that you are leaving at dawn so I'm sure you'll want to spend some time together.

I nodded, exchanging an adoring glance at my mate before backing out of the den. I bumped into Patchear on my way out, and I noticed his eyes were full of joy.

"You're one lucky tom." I meowed, before walking away. I could feel his curious gaze piercing into my pelt but I didn't care. Just because he had to be stubborn didn't mean I had to. Besides, I had more important things to think about that didn't involve his grumpy attitude.

Letting out a sigh, I curled up in my moss nest and lay my head on my paws. _No, I had to worry about saving my former Clan from the biggest destruction the forest has ever seen. _

**See? I told you this chapter was important…not too exciting but important. Anyways, I hope you review because I love all your comments! Also, Lionpaw16, I need to know your name/description for the third kit. (Hence his vague mention) Everyone else, I'd better hear some comments from you guys!! **


	14. Beginning of the End

**AN: Okay, I know that it's been a long wait so I decided to update before I left on vacation. I love this story a lot and couldn't stand waiting a week for the next chapter. I hope you guys like it!**

**P.S. I liked it better in third-person so I decided to go back. **

Lionstar looked over at his mate who was sleeping soundly beside him. The gently rise and fall of her flank was comforting to the restless tom and he gave her ear a gentle lick. Outside the den, the sky was still dark, but the tom knew that daybreak would occur any second.

On cue the sky lit up in a fury of colors; orange, pink and yellow splashing against the black canvas and brightening the darkened atmosphere. A large round orb of light was slowly creeping above the horizon and casting beams of sunshine through the leafy forest.

As the last star sparked out against the morning light, Heatherstorm stirred beside the golden tom.

"Is it time to leave?" she whispered groggily.

Though the leader had been trying to deny it, he knew it was. Looking at his mate, they exchanged a silent bond of affection before getting to his sluggish paws. "Let's get some freshkill," he suggested, padding out of the den and into the clearing.

Glancing around, Lionstar watched as Brownwhisker led a hunting patrol out into the forest, towards the Streampath border. Near the apprentices' den, Featherpaw and the others chatted secretively, casting nervous glances over their shoulders here and there. Cherrynose sat quietly outside the nursery, watching in amusement as her kits tussled playfully.

"Lionstar," the golden tom turned to see Smokeclaw bounding towards him, bouncing like a kit. His black fur had been neatly groomed and his dark blue eyes were twinkling with anticipation.

"Would you like me to gather the others to leave? Thornfoot is organizing some patrols for today and asked me to assemble the travelers for him," Smokefoot explained.

"Well if Thornfoot told you to do something then go ahead and do it. He's the deputy so his word is just as important as mine. Don't bother asking me something unless he wasn't sure himself, okay?" Lionstar reminded the warrior gently.

"Oh, okay. I'll get everyone now!" without waiting for a response the tom padding away and Lionstar let out a purr of amusement at his enthusiasm.

Obeying the low growl that rumbled in his stomach, the golden tom walked over to the freshkill pile and pulled out a squirrel. Eating it slowly, he knew he'd need to save his energy for the weeklong journey that awaited him and his warriors.

After swallowing the last bite, Lionstar groomed his fur and stared around. Songbird was busy sorting through some herbs in her den and the golden tom padded over to her.

"Greetings," he meowed, dipping his head. When she returned the gesture he continued, "I've come to receive some traveling herbs for the warriors. Has StarClan shone you what they are?"

The black she-cat nodded. "Indeed they have. That would be what these are for. I've organized them into piles, one pile per warrior. They'll boost your energy and keep you from going hungry. Tell each cat to visit me before they leave."

Lionstar nodded and quickly devoured the herbs, cringing at their tangy taste. After the last leaf had been swallowed, he meowed his thanks to the medicine cat before bounding onto his stump.

"Let all cats going on the journey to the Clans, gather here beneath the Highstump for a meeting," Lionstar called out the familiar words for the last time in a while.

Once everyone was seated before him, he began. "As decided yesterday, you all are chosen to accompany me on my journey home. It is an important mission and I trust you all to serve your best for the other Clans." Lionstar's gaze rested on each cat before he continued. "Now onto more serious things. With half the clan leaving, we'll need to find new mentors for the apprentices. If any of you have a cat in mind to replace you then-"

"Wait, no!"

Everyone turned to see Featherpaw leading the apprentice to the front of the group, her eyes shining indignantly.

Lionstar let out a hiss of annoyance at his apprentice's intrusion and found it hard to calm himself. "What do you need Featherpaw? We're leaving shortly and cannot afford to have interruptions," the golden tom meowed through gritted teeth.

"You don't have to pick new mentors for us," Featherpaw insisted.

_Why oh why did my apprentice have to be the anxious and stubborn one? _Lionstar wondered silently.

"Well what do you expect us to do?" Lionstar pressed the she-cat. He was curious to see her solution to this. "We can't leave you here unsupervised. All apprentices must have a mentor," The tom reminded her.

"Which is why we should go with you!" Featherpaw exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"I should've known there was a catch," Lionstar muttered under his breath. Glancing up once more at the white apprentice, he decided to hear through her reasoning. "Why do you want to go with us?" he meowed curiously at the eager she-cat.

"Well, the best way for us to learn about Clan life is to experience it first-hand right? Plus a journey could be good for us, we'd get to know more about the wild and survival."

Lionstar sighed as he let her words sink in. she was right, taking them with would be a learning experience that could benefit them for life. Plus she'd obviously put a lot of thought into this.

"You know she's right Lionstar."

The golden tom jumped at the voice of his mate who'd come to sit beside him. her blue eyes were staring at him with a knowing glare.

"Alright," he whispered, and cuffed Heatherstorm playfully. "I've come to a decision." Lionstar stopped for dramatic effect and glanced at the apprentices. Featherpaw and Applepaw were sitting side-by-side, kneading their paws into the ground with anticipation. Tinypaw seemed equally as eager, and his tail flicked impatiently as he awaited his leader's response. Dawnpaw and Oakpaw however were acting more coolly, sitting up tall with puffed out fur.

"The apprentices will be allowed to go."

Featherpaw let out a yowl of joy and circled happily.

"Now listen up because we're not finished yet. I need all the warriors to visit Songbird and eat some traveling herbs. All the apprentices must get something to eat first before seeing the medicine cat. Once everyone is done, meet me here and we'll live. And be sure to say goodbye to any loved ones as well."

As the cats dispersed, Lionstar looked up into the sky. Sunlight streamed in through the leaves and brightened the once dim clearing. Leaves rustled gently overhead and a bird circled cautiously in the sky before diving down to collect its prey. Intent on the sounds of the forest, Lionstar hardly noticed when Thornfoot came up to him.

"I've set today's patrols. One will be leaving at sunhigh with the travelers to see away their loved ones." A look of regret flashed in the tom's eyes but it disappeared too quickly for Lionstar to be sure.

"Thank you. I know the Clan is in good paws while I'll be gone. The journey to the Clans is about seven sunrises so I think I'll only be away for a moon. Hopefully nothing major will come up during that time." Lionstar meowed, ignoring the nagging thoughts of trouble that pulled at his mind.

"I'm sure everything will be fine," Thornfoot assured him.

Lionstar nodded absentmindedly. Something still plagued his thoughts though, a feeling that the peace wouldn't last very long.

"Is everybody here?" Lionstar glanced around the cats that had gathered. There were ten warriors and five apprentices, plus him, which made sixteen cats to help ThunderClan.

When nobody spoke up, Lionstar padded out into the dense green forest, Heatherstorm right beside him. For the most part everyone padded in silence, anticipation coming off everyone in waves. After a while the dense undergrowth began to thin, and Lionstar emerged onto the Dirtpath.

"It is time we go our separate ways," the golden tom meowed to his travelers. Without waiting for any further mentioning, cats meowed a farewell to their kin or mate that had accompanied them on the journey out of camp.

"Good luck," Heatherstorm whispered, her eyes glowing with a mixture of pride for her mate, and sadness that he'd be leaving.

"Thanks, I'll need it. Take good care of the Clan for me," Lionstar meowed, licking his mate gently on the cheek.

She licked Lionstar over the ear comfortingly.. "I'll protect it with my life." She promised and gently twined their tails. "I love you Lionstar. Please be careful," she whispered with pleading eyes.

"I love you too. And I promise that I'll return safely." The golden tom promised, hoping his words didn't reveal how worried he really was.

As he and his mate broke apart, Lionstar and the others called out a final goodbye to their clanmates and turned to leave.

As Lionstar stepped off his territory to begin his journey home, the wind seemed to whisper something in his ears that echoed through his mind.

_Today is the beginning of the end…_

**I hope you liked this chapter because it's the last one you'll get for about a week. I'm going out of town and won't have internet access. Because of that I expect many reviews so get to typing!! **


	15. Almost Home

**AN: Wowza! Man has it been a while since I've updated. Sorry about that, I've been super busy. I just got back from being gone for a week to find out that I'm leaving **_**again **_**and won't be back until next Thursday. However I decided to update one last time before I left so I hope you like the chapter!**

"Lionstar, when can we rest? My paws hurt and I'm starving!"

The golden tom let out a sigh. It had been five sunrises since they'd left and it was obvious these cats weren't used to so much traveling. The apprentices especially were having a hard time keeping up, and Lionstar looked down sympathetically at his apprentice.

Stopping, he turned to face his warriors and announced, "We'll be stopping for the night so that everyone can rest and hunt. Tomorrow we'll set out once more at sunhigh."

Though his own muscles were lean and ready to continue, he could tell his Clan was worn out. Instantly the younger cats flopped to the ground, their paws weary with exhaustion, and began to groom their matted fur. Tigerheart and Streamleaf found a small dip in the ground and settled into it, sharing tongues quietly. Beside them were Patchear and Flameheart who still seemed distant among the bonded cats.

Lionstar let out a sigh. When will they lighten up? Though he wanted to go talk with the stubborn warriors, he knew there were more important things to do. Looking around the rocky tundra, he found a ledge on the wall and climbed onto it.

"Attention travelers!" his voice echoed against the empty surroundings and instantly the cats flicked their ears towards the bold warrior. "We must find a safe place to shelter and some prey."

Looking around the barren territory, the tom began to have doubts about their necessities. They had left the prey-full woods this morning and so far not a single catch had been made since then. Plus the hard ground looked everything but soft and inviting.

"Where do you expect us to sleep? Our biggest shelter out here is the pebbles on the ground," Patchear shouted, and a couple of cats snickered.

"If we have no other choice than I guess we'll just sleep here. Tigerheart and Streamleaf have made the best of the situation and so should you!" Lionstar was losing patience with the restless warriors and wished they would just deal with the journey.

The two mates dipped their heads, slightly embarrassed to be singled out amongst the group. Lionstar however shot them a grateful glance nevertheless.

"Now, I'd like Mistpool, Cloudstorm, Smokeclaw, Sunstorm and Clovertail to go and try hunting. If you see a mouse, wait a heartbeat before springing because you might be able to bring down bigger prey, such as an eagle. I want everyone else to try and find some shelter. We must be protected in case predators come out." Lionstar instructed, and watched as the cats quickly dispersed until only he and the apprentices were remaining.

"What should we do?" Tinypaw asked politely.

Lionstar looked at them thoughtfully. With patrols being set out, there really wasn't much for them to do. "Well, I suppose you could do whatever you like," the golden tom meowed at last. It was obvious the cats weren't pleased with his response but they padded away to sit under a rock ledge and tussle playfully nevertheless.

The LeafClan leader let out a sigh of relief that they didn't argue with him. Looking into the sky, he noticed that the sun was already setting, a blackish tint taking over the cloudless atmosphere.

Lionstar wondered where the patrols could be. He had sent them out a while ago, yet not one cat had returned. Getting to his paws, the golden tom was about to go look for them when Smokeclaw entered the camp followed by his hunters.

"How did it go?" Lionstar queried, but looking at their fallen faces he knew it wasn't well. The black tom didn't reply, he just flicked his tail towards the others.

"Well, we almost had an eagle, but it was too fast and none of us could bring it down. Plus it took our mouse!" Mistpool let out a hiss of annoyance at the loss of prey and started to gingerly lick her paw.

"WE did manage to bring down a couple pieces of prey before then but after the attack we just headed straight back." More quietly he added, "I'm worried about the others. The eagle was fierce and fought back. Sunstorm has it the worst," both toms looked to see the ginger she-cat trying to lick her blood-matted fur where the talons scraped across her back.

The warriors padded over to their clanmate, who had managed to get the dried blood off her. Lionstar sniffed the wound. He knew it would need herbs, but it had stopped bleeding so there wasn't much he could do until he got to ThunderClan. After explaining this to Sunstorm, he quickly distributed the four scrawny mice that had been caught.

"That's it?" Featherpaw asked incredulously, prodding at the creature.

"Yes. Now share that with your denmates. I know it isn't much but tomorrow we'll arrive at home and I promise you guys a warm meal. But for now we'll just have to deal with what we have until then. So eat your dinner and get some rest, we'll leave tomorrow at sunhigh." The golden tom explained, and went to join Smokeclaw where Sunstorm and Mistpool where sitting.

"Hi Lionstar," the silver she-cat greeted enthusiastically. "Here, eat this." She picked up a mouse by the tail and flung it at the hungry warrior.

He was about to decline, insisting that the others needed to eat before him, but the she-cat gave him a challenging glare and he kept his mouth shut. Mumbling a thanks, he tore into the prey and let the warm test of flesh and blood flow into his mouth. Much to his dismay, the mouse was devoured quickly and the golden tom gave his muzzle a quick wash.

Suddenly, he remembered that the people who went on the second patrol hadn't returned yet.

Noticing the change in Lionstar's once content face, Smokeclaw meowed, "What's wrong? Did you hear something?"

"The others! They never came back! We must send out a search party-" the tom broke off as a loud yowl broke through the air. Without a moments hesitation, he sprinted away, following the sounds of hissing and growling and the stench of blood that tinged the air.

At last, the tom came across his patrol, fighting off a fox and her cubs. Muscles itching to fight, he sprung himself into the battle towards the mother fox herself.

Lionstar nipped at the enemy's feet, slashing down her legs and causing them to bleed. The fox let out a yowl and whirled around in an effort to stop her attacker but Lionstar was too fast. He jumped onto her back and dug his claws into her fur, only letting go after he reached flesh. Standing on her head, he bit down hard on her ear, the sharp tang of blood filling his mouth. Angered, the fox shook her head violently and sent the tom flying.

Landing with a thud on the rocky ground, he took a minute to recover before attacking once more. Teeth and claws glittered against the moonlight, and blood formed in pools all around the fighting warriors. With the help of his travelers they managed to get rid of the fox, whose cubs followed behind.

Sheathing his claws, Lionstar turned to the group with anxious eyes. "What were you thinking, causing a fight with a fox? And a nursing one too! Don't you know how protective they are of their cubs?" though he was annoyed, the leader was mostly relieved that no one had gotten severely hurt. Everyone seemed able to walk, though he could tell many needed treatment right away.

Calming his shaken nerves, he meowed more softly, "I'm glad you all aren't hurt. Now let's get back to where the apprentices are sleeping. We'll just stay there until morning." The tom was about to leave when Tigerheart padded up to him.

"You know, we had a reason for attacking," he pointed out politely. Instantly intrigued, Lionstar nodded for the warrior to continue. "We found the den over there," the dark brown tabby flicked his tail towards the set in the ground, "and figured it'd be a good place to stay for the night. But what we didn't know was that there were cubs in there. And as we backed away, we caught up with the mother coming from hunting."

Lionstar nodded. At least that made sense. "Well, now that they're gone I suppose we may as well sleep here." Padding towards the den, he crawled through the hole and examined it. It seemed big enough for all the cats, and the leader decided that would be where they stayed for the night.

"Well, considering the mother fox housed her three cubs in here it seems big enough for all of us. Flamepelt, will you head back and get the apprentices for me?" the dark ginger tom dipped his head and headed off to get the young cats.

After guiding everyone inside, including the apprentice who'd just arrived, Lionstar crawled into the den and curled up into a ball. He felt strangely alone, even though his friends surrounded him.

Glancing up into the starry sky, Lionstar felt a pang of sadness as he thought of Heatherstorm. _I wonder if she's looking up at the same sky I am. _The golden tom wondered and with the thought of her sweet scent and sparkling blue eyes, he fell into a comfortable deep sleep.

**AN: Okay, it wasn't too exciting but it was mostly just a filler chapter. I promise the next chapter will be much more suspenseful. I hope you review this chapter…if I get 7 reviews before 4:00 tonight then I'll update before I leave. Other wise you won't get another chapter until Friday because that's when I'm getting back. Thanks and please review!! **

**-Snowy**


	16. The Gathering

**AN: Okay, now that school is starting I won't be able to update as often. However my neighborhood pool is closed so I have time to update my stories. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Oh, and to make up for the long wait I promise it'll be full of excitement.**

Lionstar blinked open his eyes to find himself in a dark forest. Sniffing the air cautiously, he scented the overpowering smell of ThunderClan warriors. Warily he glanced around and with a jolt realized that he was back in his old camp.

"Greetings Lionstar," meowed a comforting voice.

The tom whirled around, his pelt bristling, to look for the cat that'd addressed him. Recognizing the familiar brown tabby pelt, he let his claws slide back in and he dipped his head respectfully at his former clanmate.

"Hello Leafpool. Why did you bring me here?" Lionstar asked politely. Even if he was clan leader, Leafpool still had more superiority than he did, being a medicine cat of StarClan.

The she-cat let out a purr of amusement at the tom's naïve behavior. "Honestly Lionstar, don't you know?" the golden tom was growing more and more impatient. Of course he didn't know! If he did than wouldn't he have said something? Seeing the blank look in the warrior's eyes, Leafpool let out an exasperated sigh. "You just got attacked by a mother fox. I was sent here to help you heal their wounds."

Without another word, the starry she-cat ran through the air, far away from the sleeping travelers. Lionstar followed eagerly behind, wondering if this was how all StarClan cats felt. The wind rushed against his face and he lost all sense of time and direction. In what could've been a heartbeat or a sunrise, she slowed her pace to stop in front of a cave entrance. Without hesitation, she padded inside and returned with a bundle of leaves.

Beckoning Lionstar to follow, she led her way back to the den where moonlight shone brightly among their sleeping pelts. Setting down the herbs, she chewed them into a pulp before applying them to each wounded cat, paying extra attention to Sunstorm.

"There. In the morning many of them will be healed and well enough to travel back to the Clans. Jayfeather and the other medicine cats have been informed of your arrival and are expecting you. If you need any more help they're there to guide you." Leafpool meowed, her starry figure beginning to fade into the background.

"Wait! What's going on at the clans?" The golden tom called after his aunt.

Abruptly, a burst of light erupted from the StarClan cat and a fierce current of air buffeted her pelt. Lionstar dug his claws into the ground in an effort not to be carried away. The wind started to swirl around, picking up dust and pebbles as it whirled through the air. Just as suddenly as it started, it all stopped. The leader heaved a sigh of relief and licked down some of his ruffled fur. Heart beating wildly, he looked around anxiously as more and more cats poured from the depths of StarClan to sit around him in a circle.

As the last cat took its place at the meeting, a fiery red tom approached the nervous warrior. "Lionstar, you are part of a great fate. Even when you left your destiny never changed. Its your duty now to stop the danger lurking in the forest once and for all." Firestar meowed wisely, and murmurs of agreement erupted from the others.

Suddenly, the cats around him stood, and their eyes shone with the intensity of the sun. "There will be three, kin of the flame, who hold the power of the stars in their paws," they all meowed the same thing, their voices booming as one.

Lionstar blinked, unsure of what to say.

"You and your siblings are the chosen ones," Firestar explained. Lionstar froze, his muscles tense. Everything now made sense! 'The flame' must be referring to Firestar. And since he, Hollyfrost and Jayfeather were his grandchildren, they must be the ones mentioned in the prophecy. Lionstar let out a shiver as he thought of the power he held.

He opened his mouth to respond but nothing came out. There weren't any words to describe his mixed emotions right now.

"We'll let you rest. You have a long day ahead of you," Firestar meowed, and disappeared into the moonlight leaving Lionstar to think about his fate.

* * *

Pale sunlight streamed into the fox den and woke the traveling warriors. A few fluffy clouds dotted the sky but other than that everything was clear.

Lionstar awoke and yawned sleepily, unused to being awake this early. Being on such barren territory, the sun woke them earlier because there weren't any protective trees to cover them from the dawn light. Nevertheless, the tom knew that tonight would be the night they arrived in the original clans and they must get moving.

Padding to a patch of sunlight, he stretched his legs before lying down, his mind whirling about the dream last night.

"Lionstar? What are you doing awake this morning?"

The LeafClan leader turned to see the familiar pelt of Streamleaf padding towards him. Her silver fur sparkled against the sun's glow and her eyes shone just as bright. "I could ask you the same question," Lionstar purred teasingly.

"Couldn't sleep?" she guessed kindly.

The golden tom nodded. "Ya. I'm just unsure of how ThunderClan will react when we arrive. According to Jayfeather things are pretty bad down there and I just don't know what to expect." Suddenly he felt himself pouring out all of his fears and worries to the familiar she-cat, unable to hold in his doubts any longer. When he was finished, she set her tail comfortingly on his back and let out a purr.

"Don't worry. You said your father was leader now, right?" when Lionstar nodded she continued. "Then you have nothing to worry about. I'm sure he'll be happy to welcome you back in more reasons than one." The loyal clanmate meowed reassuringly.

Feeling like a weight had been lifted off his back, the clan leader meowed his thanks before going to confront the other cats.

"LeafClan travelers, I know it's early and many of you are tired but we have important matters to discuss before we leave at sunhigh. I want everyone who is fit enough to hunt to try and find some prey for the group. This is our last night before arriving at the clans and we have to be healthy." Lionstar figured these cats had no idea what they were up against. Not wanting to scare them however, he didn't mention how inexplicably devious one cat could be.

"I'll lead a group of cats," Mistpool meowed, stepping forward shyly. Smokeclaw instantly stood beside her, his eyes giving way to his bliss. "I'll come too!" he meowed, and the golden tom let out a purr. It was obvious the smoky black warrior had more than friendly feelings for the pretty she-cat.

Beside him stood Patchear and Cloudstorm who each declared they were well enough to hunt. Streamleaf and Tigerheart also volunteered to hunt and Lionstar let out a satisfactory meow. Sending the cats to hunt, the golden tom found nothing else that needed to be done, and curled up into a comfortable ball to take a nap.

* * *

It was long since sunhigh and the cats were traveling on grassy slopes now. Lionstar was happy that his paws finally got to pad against soft ground. His paw pads were cracked and bleeding and in desperate need of some herbs. The others seemed to be heaving the same problem, and many of them were limping. Determined to be there before nightfall, they all put aside their pains and continued walking without complaints.

"Will we get to meet other clan apprentices?" Featherpaw asked anxiously, looking refreshed and eager.

"No. In these clans the warriors eat apprentices during the winter because the prey is scarce." Lionstar teased. The white she-cat's eyes got round with surprise and she let out a gasp. The golden tom noticed her tense muscles and let out a _mrrow_ of amusement. "I'm just kidding," he meowed, and watched as she visibly relaxed, "you'll get to meet a lot of other cats your age and learn the ways of the original clans." He explained, and she lit up with enthusiasm.

"So what's this evil cat like?" she asked after a long moment of silence.

Lionstar stopped and stared at her with surprise. "Well," he began uncertainly, "back in the forest, the place where the clans used to live, Tigerstar was a noble warrior. But he was very ambitious and wanted power and was willing to kill to get what he wanted. Many cats suffered his wrath until finally, a cat even more ambitious than him, took all his nine lives at once. However, even when he went to the Dark Forest his ambition didn't stop. He manipulated his sons to fulfill his dream of ruling the forest but that still didn't work. Apparently after I left with Heatherstorm, he was reborn along with my uncle, Hawkfrost. Now they're ruling all the clans except for ThunderClan and its our duty to stop them." Saying everything out loud made it all seem more surreal. Was it possibly for 15 cats to stop two clans of evildoers?

The tom hadn't realized it, but everyone had been listening in on his story. "We're going up against two clans of the most evil cats to walk the forest? How can we stand a chance?!"

Though the grumpy tom got on his nerves with his negative attitude, Lionstar knew he was right. He brought a group of peaceful cats into a vicious battle that many wouldn't come out of.

His golden fur shining from the setting sun, he stood to face his loyal warriors. "I know the odds seem against us but its what we were destined to do. Tigerstar is a vicious cat that must be stopped once and for all. With your help, we can get rid of him for good." Lionstar hoped he sounded braver than he actually was. Around him the cats nodded their agreement. Flicking his tail, he beckoned them to follow him further down the slopes. At the bottom of the hill, a huge slope lingered above them.

Taking a deep breath, Lionstar darted up the hill and let out a joyful yowl.

Just below him was the twoleg place, where the familiar horses and sheep roamed freely. Beyond that he recognized the territories of all four clans, surrounding the lake. Centering it all was the bracken lined island, that was connected to the shore by a fallen log.

"Wow. This is beautiful!" Featherpaw exclaimed, coming to stand beside her mentor. Lionstar nodded, longing to run down and see what was happening at the gathering tonight. However he knew that wasn't the best idea and instead faced his group.

"Every full moon the four clans gather under the truce of StarClan to share news of their clan. Tonight is one of those nights. However, Tigerstar and Hawkfrost are evil cats and don't honor the ways of their ancestors. For that reason we'll be sneaking onto the island early to watch the gathering peacefully without being noticed." The golden tom wasn't going to jump into a battle this soon, especially when his warriors were still recovering from the last fight.

When everyone nodded in agreement, he sprinted down the slope towards the fallen log, careful to stay on the unnamed territory between WindClan and RiverClan.

At last he made it to the end where faint moonlight was breaking past the sun's bright barrier, threatening for night to come. Waves lapped at the shore gently and Lionstar felt like an apprentice again, anxiously waiting to meet other warriors.

"I want all the apprentices to go first, each separated by a warrior. This way if you slip someone will be there to catch you," Lionstar didn't want anyone to fall in and waste time, as it was they only had a little bit to get on the island and find a hiding spot before the others arrived.

Smokeclaw went first, followed by Dawnpaw. After them was Streamleaf and Tinypaw, Tigerheart and Oakpaw, Mistpool and Applepaw and lastly Flamepelt with Featherpaw. Lionstar watched anxiously as they clawed their way across, narrowly avoiding the water that splashed beneath them. Once they safely made it to the other side, Lionstar sent the others across, following Patchear in the end.

"It's so much bigger over here!" squeaked a tiny voice, and Lionstar found Applepaw gazing up in awe at the branch where the leaders sat. When the other warriors caught up to the small white she-cat, they two were astounding by the beauty of the island.

"As you've noticed, it is full of prey on this island. Go ahead and hunt, but be careful about your scent. We don't want to be noticed." Instantly the group split up, eager to get a good meal.

Deciding to follow his apprentice, Lionstar stalked quietly through the brush, following her white pelt through the bushes. Suddenly she stopped and pounced, and the smell of mouse hit the tom's nostrils. He waited as she buried the catch and continued hunting down prey.

Wondering how the others were doing, Lionstar looked around for a nice place to perch. Finding a large oak tree, he stealthily climbed up its trunk to sit on the lower branches. However, too many leaves were in the way for him to see anything so he carefully made his way higher. Alas, he came to a spot where the leaves were gone and he could see the entire island from his perch.

"Lionstar? Where are you? I brought you back some freshkill." The tom called out to Featherpaw who was looking around frantically. "Where are you? I don't see you anywhere!"

"Up here in the tree!" he yowled, but the she-cat couldn't find him.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, he unsheathed his claws and scrambled down the bark to land confidently on the ground. "Thanks," he mumbled, his jaws full of juicy mouse.

Featherpaw nodded and tore into a vole vigorously. Around her the others ate contently, happy to be eating a decent meal. After finishing his meal, Lionstar gave his fur a grooming then scented the air.

WindClan! He'd recognize the rabbity scent anywhere. "Come quickly up here!" he beckoned to the warriors with his tail before sending them up the tree. Whisper hissing orders, everyone made it safely to the lower branches. Clawing his own way up, he jerked his head up to the spot he was sitting at earlier.

Just in time they all settled among the thick branches to glance down anxiously.

"Keep moving! Quit dragging your paws. When we get back to camp you're getting punished!" hissed a voice that Lionstar didn't recognize. Peering out beyond the leaves, he watched as a dark tabby with broad stripes shoved the cats through the clearing to sit in a line just beneath the leader's perch. **(AN: If I refer to the leader's perch it means where ALL the Clan leader's sit to discuss things, not Lionstar's branch.)**

Lionstar couldn't contain his disbelief. These cats looked terrible! All of them were scrawny with every bone visible on their body. Half of their pelts were gone, and the little bit that remained was matted and flea-ridden. Each cat had their own distinctive markings of blood and scars that had been clawed onto them, presumably by their leader.

"I-I thought you said t-these c-c-cats were admirable," Featherpaw meowed, her voice quivering.

Lionstar licked his apprentice gently on the cheek. "It'll all be better soon, I promise." He meowed, hoping it wasn't a lie.

Not a word was spoken by the prisoners as the striped tom paced up and down the row of cats.

"D-Darkstar, can I go make dirt?" squeaked a nervous voice. Instantly the tom stopped and turned around, his eyes shining with a malicious gleam. "Do you want to go to the bathroom?" he asked with mock-sincerity. The apprentice said nothing, only shrinking back from Darkstar's vicious snarl.

Suddenly he slashed out with an unsheathed paw and scored his claws down the young cat's muzzle. Blood dripped into his eyes and matted his fur but the tom didn't dare to flinch. "Does that answer your question?" he asked spitefully before continuing to pace.

"Darkstar, RiverClan is arriving," meowed a husky voice. Curious, Lionstar stretched his neck to see a dark black tom padding towards the WindClan leader. His fur was clean and glossy, and his lean muscles rippled from beneath his pelt.

"Very well Claw. You and the others may break from guard duty and chat with your friends. Tigerstar should be coming soon." Darkstar meowed, and flicked the warrior away with his tail.

Lionstar gulped nervously and shifted in his seat. Glancing over his shoulder, he gave his startled clanmates a sympathetic glance. They all looked frozen to their spots with fear, and none of them dared to move.

Hawkstar quickly emerged into the clearing to greet the clan leader. Lionstar watched as more cats as lean as Claw led more prisoners into the clan to sit behind the ones that were already there. As soon as they were seated the lean warriors went to sit beneath the leader's branch to share tongues.

Not long after, Tigerstar arrived performing the same ritual. Seeing the tom that he once looked up to, Lionstar let out a hiss of hatred. Darkstar and Hawkstar dipped their heads at the tom as he jumped onto his seat. On his command, the other leaders took their spots also.

"ThunderClan is late again," Tigerstar mused, "that kittypet leader of theirs must have finally realized that he was too weak to face us alone. I must talk to him about tardiness, it will really get him in trouble." The evil warrior unsheathed his claws and flexed them so that they shone threateningly against the moonlight.

A rustle in the bushes interrupted his evil fest and a cruel smile formed on his face. "Well, well, well. It looks like Bramble_kit_ decided to show up. That was very nice of him, wasn't it boys?" the group snickered.

Lionstar watched pitifully as a much thinner and weaker version of his father attempted to jump to the other leaders, only to come crashing down when he couldn't pull himself up. Nevertheless, he groomed his fur and Lionstar felt a tinge of pride at the way his father stood so boldly against his father.

"So Bramblekit, have you decided to come to your senses and meet our grounds? You might as well give up, you cannot defeat us." Tigerstar taunted, hopping off the branch to circle his son menacingly.

"Never," the tom hissed, spitting on his father. His amber eyes gleamed with pure revulsion and hatred as he looked around at the damage his father and brother had caused.

"Wrong answer!" Tigerstar yowled before launching himself at his son.

Lionstar watched in horror as his father was easily pinned down.

"Bramblekit you could've been a great leader. But you're weak! You let your kittypet leader rub off on you and look where it's gotten you. However, I'm feeling generous so I'm giving you one more chance. You have until the next gathering to agree to our terms or we kill. Every last one of your clanmates will be killed one by one, and you'll have to watch it all, knowing it was _all your fault." _With that, Tigerstar leaped off his son and left the clearing, followed by the two leaders.

Bramblestar got to his paws and licked his bloody fur clean before staring up at the stars.

"Oh StarClan, what am I to do?" he pleaded to his warrior ancestors.

Feeling more confident than he had, Lionstar took a deep breath and padded unnoticed down the tree. Flicking his tail, he beckoned for the others to follow.

"Hello Bramblestar. I'm Lionstar, leader of LeafClan and we're here to help." And with that, the golden tom stepped out of the shadows and into the moonlight, ready to face his destiny.

**AN: I think this was the longest chapter I've ever done in any of my stories. But I did promise you guys an extra long and extra exciting chapter so I hope that met your standards! I would promise to update soon, but with school starting again I'm not sure how often this will be updated. But either way please review! I love reviews and I'm trying to reach one hundred. PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF THIS STORY REVIEW!! And if that isn't enough motivation then maybe this will be. If I don't get at lease 5-10 reviews this chapter than I'll be forced to kill off one of the characters. scans allegiances page I think that Applepaw will be the one to go. You don't want her to die do you? So for the love of sweet, energetic little Applepaw GET TO REVIEWING!! Oh, and yes Bramblestar came to the gathering alone. You'll find out why later.**


	17. Shocking Discoveries

**AN: All right, I know I've been abandoning my other stories but I really want to get this one finished. Check out my profile and you'll see the schedule I made for updating them. But before you do that, read and review this chapter! Oh, and Applepaw was saved by your reviews. Thanks everyone! But next time the stakes will be higher…**

"L-Lionstar?" Bramblestar whispered in a weak voice. The golden tom took another step forward, his glossy fur shining even brighter against the moon's shining rays.

Unable to find words, the LeafClan leader just stepped forward to bury his muzzle in his father's matted fur. Breathing in his scent, the tom staggered backwards and coughed violently at the pungent smell of sickness and blood that wafted from his father.

Managing to regain his senses, Lionstar looked boldly at the ThunderClan leader. "Bramblestar, I've received pleadings from Jayfeather to return and help you out. I could never abandon you guys so I've brought my most courageous and trustworthy warriors to help you fight against Tigerstar."

The warriors of LeafClan straightened up at the praise and quickly combed down any loose fur.

"Hi! My name is Featherpaw. Was that the evil cat that Lionstar was warning us about? He didn't look too nice." The apprentice mewed, shaking her head for emphasis.

Even in such dark times the two leaders couldn't help but purr in amusement at the apprentice's naïve behavior. "Yes sweetie it was. And believe it or not but he's my father."

The she-cat's mouth dropped open and her blue pools were wide with disbelief. "That's terrible! My daddy wouldn't do that. He should have to clean the elders den 'til he gets nicer, right Lionstar?"

The golden tom shot his apprentice a warning glance, but inside he was amused by her "simple" way of solving this problem.

"Not exactly. You see, Tigerstar is a very vicious cat. He doesn't believe in having useless cats in his clan, therefore he bans anyone who's unfit to fight; including elders. Either that or he'll imprison them and torture them until they go to the ranks of StarClan." The tabby tom explained sadly, shaking his head with the mutiny of it all.

Featherpaw shrank back, unsure of what to say. Lionstar set his tail gently on her shoulder and licked her ear comfortingly.

Suddenly, Bramblestar looked up with a jolt. "Wait, what did you say her name was again?" he asked curiously.

"I'm Lionstar, and this is Featherpaw," then the golden tom quickly introduced the rest of the Clan who'd come to sit beside him.

"But those are Clan names," his father whispered, not understanding.

Lionstar nodded. "I know. We'll explain everything later. Why don't you lead us back to ThunderClan and we can let everyone know we're hear over a piece of freshkill?" the golden tom suggested getting to his paws.

Bramblestar shook his head, his amber eyes glittering with distress. "You don't understand," he whispered sadly, "Tigerstar has taken all our food. Every day he raids camp in search of anything valuable. ThunderClan is weak and defenseless. We have nothing anymore, not even hope."

Lionstar searched his mind for something comforting to say to his father but he couldn't find the right words. Instead he just nodded and nudged his father to his feet, turning towards the treebridge to leave.

"Um, actually we can't go that way," Bramblestar explained uneasily.

"Well how else are we supposed to get off the island then?" Lionstar exclaimed, slightly annoyed.

The weakened tom said nothing and walked to the side of island. Gathering his haunches, he leaped over a bush and landed with a splash on the other side, leaving Lionstar staring at the spot he disappeared at with wide eyes.

His warriors were too tired to swim; surely there was another way to get back to ThunderClan?

Emerging through the bracken, he found his father wading through the shadowed water. "Bramblestar, I can't weaken my warriors any further. They're tired and hungry from traveling so far. Isn't there some other way? And what's wrong with the treebridge?" So many questions were buzzing in the tom's mind and yet there seemed to be no answers.

"Darkstar that's what. Even if I stay right next to the shore he'll attack, claiming it as his territory. That's why I don't bring the rest of ThunderClan with me to the gatherings." Bramblestar meowed over his shoulder, thrashing wildly in the water in an effort to stay afloat.

Lionstar thought carefully about what to do next. "Cats of LeafClan," he meowed turning towards his warriors, "I would like you to stay here for the night. There's plenty of prey and ThunderClan is too weak to keep us. If anyone smells an intruder than go into the tree, understand? Keep at least one guard and make sure that you bury every evidence that you were here. I'll be back in the morning with an update."

The others nodded and immediately flopped down to share tongues. Casting one last glance at his noble warriors, Lionstar waded into the water.

The golden tom flinched at its icy sting, and his muscles tensed with the chill. Slowly he walked down the shoreline until the water lapped at his belly fur and sent shivers down his spine. Realizing he had no other choice, he slowly began to kick his paws like a RiverClan cat. Holding his head up high, he breathed heavily, the currents starting to pull him under. Suddenly a large wave came over him and he found himself fighting underneath the frosty water.

Thrashing his paws, he struggled to break free of the water's deathly grasp. Slowly he began to get dizzy, and though he continued kicking frantically, he knew his muscles were growing tired. Squeezing his eyes shut, he thought wildly for a way to break free. On a whim, he let everything go limp and slowly began to pattern his paws.

_Right paw, left paw, right paw…_

Luckily his tactics worked and the tom found himself at the surface once more. Taking a large gasp of air, he turned towards the WindClan shore and crawled onto the rocks, retching water from his throat. Completely exasperated, he lay against the cold stones, his damp fur clinging to his soaked pelt.

Heart beating wildly the tom had been too distracted to notice a black tom pad up to him, his eyes wide with concern.

"Lionstar are you alright?"

Blinking open his eyes, the Clan leader let out a sigh as he recognized the face of Smokeclaw. "I thought I told everyone to stay at the island," the tom murmured looking expectantly at his warrior.

Smokeclaw looked down shyly and shuffled his paws. "I know, and I'm really sorry but I was just too curious to resist," the black tom admitted.

Lionstar nodded. "I understand. Now let's get going. Bramblestar said the others will attack if we're on the shoreline so let's travel quickly." Getting to his paws he shook off his fur, not bothering to groom it. Looking out at the lake, he watched as his father steadily made his way towards the shore, paddling as well as any RiverClan cat.

Lionstar puffed out his fur with pride as his father, obviously weak and exasperated, continued swimming across the gentle water, refusing to be demeaned of his pride and dignity.

"He's the kind of warrior you were talking about right?" Smokeclaw asked, refusing to take his eyes off the graceful warrior.

Lionstar nodded proudly before running along the shore, his paws barely in the water. The cool wind blowing against his pelt, the tom found his fur rapidly drying. Shaking once more he picked up his pace, not wanting to be caught on another Clan's territory, even if he was between the boundaries.

Before he knew it the tom crossed the stream that separated his former clan from Heatherstorm's and sat down calmly on the familiar ThunderClan territory. Padding up to his father who was lying down to rest in the grass, Lionstar licked his fur until it was shiny once more. Smokeclaw did the same before dipping his head respectfully to the noble leader.

"Bramblestar, Lionstar has told me so much about you. I'm more than willing to help you restore peace to the forest. My mother came from one of these clans and therefore I feel the need to keep everything peaceful. I know that's what my mother would want," Smokeclaw explained, bowing his head.

Bramblestar nodded and took a deep breath. "Thank you. However I must warn you, ThunderClan is in no condition for visitors. Things have drastically changed since you left the forest and not for the better."

Lionstar opened his mouth to respond but his father had already begun trekking back to camp. Exchanging a nervous glance with his warrior, the golden tom took one last deep breath before plunging into the undergrowth, anxious to see his former clanmates once more.

* * *

"Lionstar you're here!" the golden tom purred as his siblings rushed towards them, waves of relief coming off their pelts.

"Jayfeather, Hollyfrost! You're so thin," Lionstar shook his head in disbelief at the scrawny sights of his siblings. They looked no better than the prisoners of the other clans; only their scars were raw and fresh.

"What happened? I've been gone a little more than a moon and you all look terrible!" Lionstar couldn't believe how weak his former denmates had grown, their glossy pelts and lean muscles now dull and frail.

"I'll explain later," Jayfeather whispered before heading into the medicine den. A small black and white she-cat greeted him at the entrance with a bundle of herbs before rushing off to the apprentices' den.

"Lionclaw is that you?" the golden tom couldn't resist the purr that arose in his throat when he noticed the familiar ginger pelt of his mother. She was limping on one leg and a deep gash in her flank was bleeding, but the gleam in her eyes was all Lionstar noticed.

"Actually, it's Lionstar now. I'm the leader of LeafClan near the mountains. But the important question is what happened to you? Shouldn't Jayfeather be treating that?" Lionstar laid down on a small patch of grass and began to tenderly lick the wound.

"Oh I'm so proud of you! And he has no herbs to spare. All of the traveling herbs have been eaten so that everyone could stay strong and not hungry. But we ran out of those a while ago."

Lionstar blinked in misunderstanding. What was wrong with freshkill keeping people going?

Seeming to read his mind, Squirrelflight jumped into an explanation. "I know what you're thinking but trust me, it's not that simple. Tigerstar comes over twice a day to steal our prey. Typically he leaves us two mice to feed the entire clan. Maybe a rabbit if he's feeling generous."

Lionstar stared at his mother, unsure of what to say. Fortunately Bramblestar came forward and broke up the awkward silence. "Lionstar, Smokeclaw, you're arrival will be announced in the morning. Meanwhile, you should find a place outside to sleep. The entire clan is in the verge of sickness and I don't want you to be affected."

Lionstar nodded and beckoned his warrior out of camp. Meowing a farewell to his family, he quickly found a mossy spot beneath a tree on the outskirts of camp to sleep under. Curling into a ball, he shut his eyes and in no time fell asleep.

* * *

A battle cry woke up the warrior early in the morning, and he got up with a start. On an impulse, he scurried up the tree followed closely behind by Smokeclaw. Crouching defensively on a branch that overlooked the camp, he watched edgily at what was happening in the clearing below him.

"Alright kittypets, wake up! Time for a line up." Lionstar shook his head sadly as Tigerstar burst into camp, followed by the lean warriors he'd seen at the 'gathering' last night.

Instantly alarmed the cats got up from their sleep to sit in a line, including the queens and elders. Each one stood stiffly as Tigerstar walked up and down the line, sniffing everyone carefully.

Watching in vain as his siblings were slashed at, Lionstar prepared for attack. Teeth bore back in a snarl he gathered his haunches about to spring when a sweet scent came over him.

_Now isn't the time… _the voice murmured and Lionstar turned just to see Spottedleaf disappearing into the dawn sky.

Letting his neck fur lie flat once more, he focused his thoughts on the camp beneath him. As Tigerstar turned to leave, a small kit wandered out from the nursery, her eyes wide with anger.

"You can't come into the camp!" she exclaimed, marching up to look boldly at the brown tabby tom. "This is ThunderClan's camp and I'm going to fight you if you don't leave," to prove she meant what she said the small silver she-kit snarled and unsheathed her claws.

Normally Lionstar would've been amused by her bravery, but knowing how wicked Tigerstar could be he felt nothing but hollow as he watched the next scene unravel before him.

Tigerstar's snarl formed into a menacing smile as he picked up the kit by her scruff and turned to face the warriors. Setting down the kit beneath his paws, he addressed the cats with a wicked glare. "It's sad that the kit of a kittypet is the only one to face me. Unfortunately for her it wasn't a very good decision."

Lionstar gasped and Smokeclaw stiffened as Tigerstar dug his claws into her pelt and dove towards her neck to deliver the killing bite. The golden tom shut his eyes as she let out a surprised squeak as her short life came to a drastic change.

Hearing gasps among the warriors, he opened his eyes to see his grandfather dangling the limp kit from his long claws. "This is what could happen to you," he warned with a vicious glance at every cat, "so just remember that when you think of rebelling. Now I'll be back at sunhigh to collect the freshkill. If I don't get at least five pieces than one of you will be killed."

Lionstar gulped nervously as he exited the camp and slowly walked out of sight. Turning towards his warrior, his stomach churned nervously with the apprehension of it all.

"I hope we have all of StarClan on our side because at this point, we don't have any other hope." Smokeclaw's truthful words hit the leader hard and he stared off at the spot where his grandfather disappeared to, wondering when his treachery would come to an end.

**As you've noticed my chapters keep getting longer and longer so be prepared to read when ever you open up this story. Also, I got enough reviews to save Applepaw but it still wasn't as many as I'd have liked. So this time I'm raising the stakes. If I don't get at least 7-8 reviews then one of Lionstar's relatives (Squirrelflight, Bramblestar, Hollyfrost or Jayfeather) will be killed off. NO MATTER WHAT. So you have until next the next update (in a couple of days) to get in the reviews. Remember, the fate of their lives are in your hands so don't let them down!!**

**Thanks!**

**Snowy**


	18. Other Clan Allegiances

**AN: I just realized that I didn't put up an allegiances page for the other clans. So here are the cats that are in the original four clans. Sorry for the confusion!**

ThunderClan

Leader: Bramblestar- dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Deputy: Hollyfrost- black she-cat with green eyes

Medicine Cat: Jayfeather- gray tabby tom

Warriors: Squirrelflight- Dark ginger she-cat with green eyes: _Apprentice, Foxpaw_

Dustpelt- brown tabby tom

Mousewhisker- small gray and white tom

Sandstorm- pale ginger she-cat

Cloudtail- long-haired white tom

Brackenfur- golden brown tabby tom

Sorreltail- tortoiseshell she-cat

Brightheart- white she-cat with ginger patches

Ashfur- pale gray (with darker flecks) tom

Spiderleg- long-limbed black tom with brown underbelly and amber eyes

Whitewing- white she-cat with green eyes: _Apprentice, Icepaw_

Birchfall- light brown tabby tom

Graystripe- long-haired gray tom

Stormfur- dark gray tom, formerly of RiverClan

Brook where small fish swim (Brook)- brown tabby she-cat

Berrynose- cream-colored tom

Poppypelt- tortoiseshell she-cat

Cinderpool- gray tabby she-cat

Apprentices: Foxpaw- reddish tabby tom

Icepaw- white she-cat

Queens: Ferncloud- pale gray (with darker flecks) she-cat

Millie- striped gray tabby she-cat, mother of Graystripe's kits: Bumblekit (gray tabby tom) Blossomkit (silver she-kit with white paws) Briarkit (dark gray tom)

Daisy- cream long-furred cat from the horseplace, mother of Spiderleg's kits: Rosekit (cream colored she-kit) and Toadkit (black and white tom)

Elders: Mousefur- small dusky brown she-cat

**NOTES: **Honeyfur, Hazeltail, Firestar and Leafpool all died at the gathering that occurred when Lionpaw and Heatherpaw left. Details will be explained later. Also, Millie obviously had her kits. Longtail later died of starvation just a little bit before Lionstar came back. All the previous apprentices were made warriors, which is why Foxpaw and Icepaw are the only ones left.

ShadowClan

Leader: Tigerstar- dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes: Apprentice, Thistlepaw (gray tom)

Deputy: Russetfur- dark ginger she-cat: Apprentice, Sharppaw (black and white tom)

Medicine Cat: Littlecloud- very small tabby tom

Warriors: Bone- huge jet black tom

Claw- dark brown tabby tom

Streak- tortoiseshell she-cat with white streaks down her back

Mud- tabby tom

Storm- dark gray tom with jet black eyes

Flame- dark ginger tom with white paws

Sky- silver she-cat with blue eyes

Smokefoot- black tom: _Apprentice, Owlpaw_ (dark brown tabby tom)

Prisoners: Oakfur- small brown tabby tom

Ivytail- black, white and tortoiseshell she-cat: _Apprentice, Dawnpaw_ (orange and white she-cat)

Toadfoot- dark brown tom

Appleblossom- white she-cat with ginger patches

Marshcloud- black and white tom

Tawnypelt- tortoiseshell she-cat

Snowbird- pure white she-cat, kits: Nightkit (black tom) Mosskit (gray and white she-cat)

**Notes: **As you can see the allegiances page is much different. This is because when Tigerstar took over he decided there were his followers (warriors) and then everyone else who might stop him from gaining total power (prisoners). Also, you probably noticed that some of the names are unusual. Well, they are descendents of BloodClan. Their story will be explained later…

RiverClan

Leader: Hawkstar- brown tabby tom with ice blue eyes

Deputy: Blackclaw- smoky black tom

Medicine Cat: Mothwing- dappled golden she-cat: _Apprentice, Willowpaw_ (light brown tabby she-cat)

Warriors: Talon- ginger tabby tom with amber eyes

Rock- dark gray tom

Smoke- black tom with white paws

Venom- pale ginger she-cat

Scratch- light gray tom with darker flecks

Thorn- black and ginger tom

Prisoners: Voletooth- small brown tabby tom: _Apprentice, Minnowpaw _(striped gray tom)

Beechfur- light brown tom: _Apprentice, Sneezepaw_ (ginger she-kit)

Mosspelt- tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes: _Apprentice, Pebblepaw_ (tortoiseshell she-cat)

Dawnflower- Pale gray she-cat

Dapplenose- mottled gray she-cat: _Apprentice, Mallowpaw_ (light gray tom)

Rippletail- dark gray tabby tom

Graymist- pale gray tabby she-cat

Icewing- white she-cat with green eyes, kits: Beetlekit, Petalkit, Grasskit, Pricklekit

Heavystep- thickest tabby tom

Swallowtail- dark brown she-cat

WindClan

Leader: Darkstar- dark brown tabby tom with broad stripes

Deputy: Tornear- tabby tom

Medicine Cat: Kestrelwing- ginger tom

Warriors: Flash- dark ginger tom with a white tail

Stone- pale gray tom

Shadow- smoky black tom

Rain- silver she-cat with blue eyes

Frost- mottled white she-cat

Snake- white tom with ginger patches

Hawk- brown tabby tom

Fire- dark ginger she-cat

Spot- tortoiseshell she-cat

Plague- jet-black tom with a white underbelly and long legs

Prisoners: Crowfeather- dark gray tom

Owlwhisker- light brown tabby tom: Apprentice, Silverpaw (silver she-cat)

Whitetail- small white she-cat

Breezecloud- black tom with amber eyes

Weaselfur- ginger tom with white paws: Apprentice, Ravenpaw (sleek black tom)

Harespring- brown and white tom: Apprentice, Cloudpaw (fluffy white tom)

Ashfoot- gray she-cat

Gorsetail- very pale gray and white she-cat with blue eyes

Webfoot- dark gray tabby tom

**Notes: **Darkstar is a reincarnation of Darkstripe. The three apprentices are Gorsetail's kits. We'll just pretend they were announced as apprentices on the gathering that Lionstar missed.

**Okay, I think that is all I needed to say. And I'm sure you're wondering what happened to the original leaders but it'll all come together soon. And if I missed anyone than please tell me. I have the next chapter typed, so you can expect it soon!**


	19. Plans for Recovery

**AN: Sorry for the long wait but I hope you still like this chapter. School starts in a few days so I'll be very busy. However, I got in trouble and I'm stuck at home today so I hope you enjoy this chapter; it's the last one you'll get for about a week. Enjoy and be sure to review!**

Making sure they were completely gone, Lionstar bunched his hind legs and sprang, landing on a soft patch of dry leaves. Smokeclaw followed close behind and together the two toms raced into camp.

"Is she okay?" Lionstar whispered in case Tigerstar or his followers were still around. Padding up to his brother he sniffed the kit carefully, her fur matted with blood.

"Blossomkit!" screeched a voice and everyone looked up to see Millie rushing towards her kit, while Graystripe tried to sooth his mate.

She let out a shriek at the sight of her limp kit and she licked the tiny she-cat carefully. Eyes full of grief, she shoved her nose into the gray tom's fur while he licked her cheek comfortingly.

Finally Jayfeather looked up from the cat to answer his brother's question. "I'm not sure. She has a large wound on her neck but she's still breathing. I did what I could for her so now she's in the paws of StarClan." Though his eyes were sightless they were still tinged with pain.

Lionstar nodded, even though his brother couldn't see him. He was too upset to talk. The same cat that had trained him as an apprentice was now ruthless enough to kill an innocent kit. How was he supposed to defeat such a wicked creature?

A loud yowl sounded through the hollow and the cats quickly gathered to sit beneath their leader.

"As you've noticed, Lionclaw has returned as Lionstar, leader of LeafClan. He has brought ten warriors and five apprentices on the journey to come to us. One of the warriors, Smokeclaw, has joined him to visit us today. I'll let them explain their story." Bramblestar jumped off his perch to sit beside his daughter and mate.

The newcomers dipped their heads as they made their way to the front of the clan. The golden tom felt odd addressing his former clanmates as another clan's leader but nevertheless he explained his story. Smokeclaw added in details about the group before he arrived then continued with how Lionstar was made the leader of their new clan. Taking over once more the leader finally concluded with how his warriors were leaving temporarily on the island.

As the two cats stepped down, Bramblestar took his place as leader once more. "They have come to help us defeat the reign of Tigerstar once and for all. Lionstar, will you explain your plan?"

The golden tom got to his paws and turned to face the ThunderClan cats. He shivered at their terrible state but finally stated what was on his mind. "I have done a lot of thinking on the journey and I've come up with a plan. Tigerstar comes by in the morning and at night which gives us all during the day to accomplish this goal. I feel that you all could live happily on the island to regain your strength while my fit warriors could protect you. There is plenty of prey and shelter, which would make for easy recovering. We'll need all our strength to defeat Tigerstar alone."

His golden fur shining in the moonlight, Lionstar seemed almost like a fallen StarClan warrior. His eyes were bright and determined and his muscles rippled out of his freshly groomed pelt.

"Well how are we going to get everyone over there without him noticing?" Dustpelt called out, looking anxiously at his mate and kits.

Lionstar flicked his tail. "I've been thinking about that too. I say we should take kits and apprentices first, as they're the most vulnerable to the attacks. Plus he'll believe that they passed away better than he will if we tried to sneak away some warriors. I will take Millie and Daisy's kits tonight. They are the smallest and weakest, which means that they need nourishment now. Who will accompany me on the journey to the island?"

Everyone exchanged nervous glances before finally someone spoke up. "I'll come. I want to know that my kits will be okay," Lionstar dipped his head gratefully at the gray-haired tom before looking expectantly at the others.

"I will come with you and Graystripe. I agree, if my kits will be leaving I want to make sure that I see them off." Spiderleg looked back affectionately at Daisy before dipping his head to the golden tom.

"Okay, then I need you guys to each grab a kit. Smokeclaw, follow us to the nursery. We'll need you to help us carry a kit also. There are four, right?" Lionstar asked, following the warriors to the milk-scented den.

Inside lay the three queens, each meowing a goodbye to their kits before handing them off to the warriors.

"But why do we have to leave?" mewed a tiny tom, his eyes full of sadness. Lionstar felt bad for the helpless creature as he picked him up in his jaws.

"I can walk, ya know!" he meowed, wriggling to get free.

"Bumblekit!" snapped his mother. "That is no way to treat a clan leader. He's going to take you away so you can get some food and a good night's rest okay? That evil cat won't be any where around," the gray she-cat licked her tom affectionately before Lionstar padded out of the den.

Looking at Smokeclaw, who was carrying a dark cream she-kit, he flicked his tail beckoning the group to leave. Soon Graystripe emerged holding a dark gray tom, with identical long fur. At last Spiderleg backed out of the den with a black and white tom and the group was ready to go.

Flicking his tail in farewell, Lionstar led everyone into the moonlit forest, hoping that they could have a safe journey to the island. He knew that everyone would blame themselves if an innocent kit were injured.

At last the calming sound of waves slapping against the shore could be heard and the golden tom darted ahead as fast as he dared with a kit in his mouth. Nodding his head, Lionstar went to the shore and waded through the water, staying no more than waist deep. The kits must've realized the importance of staying quiet, for they didn't put up any more struggles.

Gradually the island grew closer and closer, and at last the four warriors crawled onto the shore to rest. Letting go of the kits, Lionstar let out a sigh and meowed, "Thanks you guys. I'll go catch you some prey to take home. Everyone seemed very hungry."

Rounding up the kits, Lionstar and Smokeclaw padded into the clearing to find some prey.

"So this is where the gatherings happen?" exclaimed the silver tabby tom. He suddenly had forgotten the seriousness of the situation and was taken aback by the sight in front of him. "I thought I'd have to wait four more moons to see this!"

"Ya, this is the place." Lionstar meowed, but inside he felt a pang of sorrow for the tiny tom. In their situation, it wasn't a good thing to be here so early.

"Lionstar's back!" yowled a voice, and out of the bushes scurried all his warriors and apprentices. Surprised at how many other cats were there, Bumblekit and the others instantly went around introducing themselves.

Beckoning Smokeclaw to follow him, Lionstar padded over to Streamleaf and meowed, "Keep an eye on them for me," before walking away. Sniffing the air, Lionstar was overpowered by the strong scent of freshkill, and he knew that the ThunderClan warriors would eat well tonight.

Departing from his warrior, Lionstar went about to hunting. He spotted a large squirrel sitting quietly beneath a tree and quickly killed it with his sharp claws. Soon after he managed to capture one mouse and a water vole before returning to the ThunderClan toms.

Spiderleg's eyes flew open with disbelief at the sight of some much freshkill. "Thank you so much!" he exclaimed, digging into the mouse. Graystripe also meowed thanks before heartily devouring a vole.

Picking up the remaining squirrel, thrush and mice, the two toms meowed goodbye before plunging into the darkness to return home with their catches.

"Where should we sleep tonight?" Smokeclaw asked, glancing around the clearing. Lionstar shrugged and padded over to Streamleaf.

"Do you know where we should sleep?" he asked the she-cat as she gleefully played with the kits.

"Sure! We set it up when you left with Smokeclaw. Kits, you stay here with Tigerheart and I'll be right back," the silver warrior meowed, leading Lionstar into the bushes. Stepping carefully over sharp twigs and thorns, she finally emerged into a opening that was surrounded by bushes. Inside the enclosure were about fifteen moss nests, each lined with different feathers.

"These are the beds we made. Each cat marked theirs with different feathers to add comfort, and dominance.

Lionstar nodded and found two empty nests at the end. Figuring one was his, the tom picked up the jay feathers that were by his nest and began placing them around the moss. Suddenly, a large shadow covered the moon, and the wind picked up. A couple of waves from the shore lapped through the dense barrier and Lionstar gasped in surprise. Just as quickly as it started, everything stopped and the feathers were gone from the nest. Looking around at the other nests, he tilted his head in confusion as he noticed none of the other beds had been disturbed.

Was that a sign from StarClan? The golden tom pondered, glancing up into starry sky. Suddenly, he felt a pelt brush against his. Whirling around, he didn't see anything but the voice in his ear was unmistakable.

_Dark water will rise and roar with the wind. Only with help from the falling flock can we defeat the mightiest storm from brewing._

The voice died down and melted into darkness, leaving Lionstar to think about what he had just heard. Shaking his head, he looked down at his nest to see three feathers sitting neatly on the moss. Lionstar blinked and lay down, wondering what this prophecy could possibly mean.

**So, what do YOU think it means? Well, just keep guessing because you have a week until you're going to find out… maybe even later. Wait a second what's that? It looks like a tiny button! Aww, its so cute, I don't know anyone who would actually dismiss it. You're not going to dismiss it are you? Come on, it even says go! How could you deny such a cute little button? Go on click it! Come on just do it already! GET TO THE CLICKING!! **


	20. Finding out the Truth

**AN: Okay, I know I said it'd be a week but I managed to find free time. Anyways, hope you like this chapter!**

"Let all cats of LeafClan gather here for a Clan meeting!" Lionstar yowled the words across the island and his cats instantly came scurrying over. He let out a purr as he saw Bumblekit cautiously pad over to the group, eagerly followed by the other kits.

"I've decided that we would be taking ThunderClan cats to the island day by day. The apprentices will come next, followed by the queens and elders. However, we must not make it look suspicious. I will need two warriors to accompany me on my trip over to ThunderClan. We'll hunt so that Tigerstar has prey and then hide some leftovers for the remaining cats. Who would like to come with?" the golden tom explained his plans, glancing around the clearing.

"I'll come."

Lionstar nodded gratefully at the silver she-cat. "Thank you Streamleaf. Who else?"

"Well, you mentioned hunting and so I'd love to come. Those poor kits were in terrible conditions when you brought them here and I can't imagine what everyone else looks like." Meowed a ginger she-cat.

"I appreciate your concern Sunstorm. We'll be leaving at sunhigh so eat fast and rest so that you're fit to travel." Lionstar looked up into the morning sky and sighed. The sun was well over the horizon, instantly brightening such a dull day. But no matter how full of light the rays were, everyone still felt a hollow pang of sadness.

"Yes Lionstar," the two she-cats meowed, heading off to grab a quick bite to eat. Lionstar sprang off the leaders' perch and headed into the bushes, eager to find some prey of his own.

* * *

"Follow me," he whispered to his warriors, trying to silently splash through the water. It was much easier to travel at night; there was less risk of getting spotted. The others seemed to realize the problem too, and were trying hard not to slosh around when they walked. Silently they made their way through the water, the shore gradually growing closer.

Letting out a sigh of relief for their safe travels, Lionstar hauled himself out of the water and shook loose droplets from his fur. Deciding to attempt hunting here, he motioned his warriors off.

Opening his mouth he scented the air and began stalking a water vole. Obviously the creatures around here weren't used to being hunted because the golden tom killed it before it could realize he was there. Burying the catch he found two mice eating quietly together. Happy to have a difficult catch, he crept forward silently, watching carefully where he set his paws. At last he sprang with each paw out, and managed to dig his claws into both creatures at the same time. Letting out a yowl of satisfaction, he covered the prey with dirt before scenting the air once more.

"That was a nice catch," meowed a voice.

Lionstar froze in his tracks. Were Tigerstar and his warriors here?

"Oh quit acting like a nervous kit. It's just me!" hissed the tom.

Letting his claws slide in, Lionstar happily went and greeted the gray tom. "Jayfeather! What are you doing out here?" he glanced around warily to make sure they weren't being watched.

"I was collecting herbs. Why are you here?" Jayfeather asked, his sightless blue eyes fixed on his brother.

"I came to get the apprentices. But I have something else to ask. What happened at that gathering where Heatherstorm and I left?" the leader was ready to hear the truth.

Jayfeather was silent and he finally sat down, beckoning his brother to join him. "Well, after you two left. Blackstar called the gathering to a start. He explained that Tigerpaw, Tawnypelt's kit, had been exiled half a moon ago for attempting to kill one of the apprentices. Leopardstar then told us that a new apprentice, Hawkpaw, had been exiled for the same reason. And believe it or not, so had Darkpaw of WindClan. Someone from the crowd pointed out that these were the names of Tigerstar, Hawkfrost and Darkstripe and everyone was angered. It was then that Tigerpaw showed up, along with tons of BloodClan descendants. He declared that he, Hawkpaw and Darkpaw were the reincarnations of the named cats."

Lionstar shook his head in disgust at how much evil was ruling the forest.

"Tigerstar then announced that he would take over ShadowClan, Hawkfrost to RiverClan, and Darkstripe WindClan. Instantly everyone protested and a battle broke out. Honeyfur, Thornclaw, Hazeltail, Firestar and Leafpool all died that night along with many other warriors of the other Clans. Blood was spilled everywhere and the other leaders were driven out. Brambleclaw decided that he wasn't going to be driven out and the other 'leaders' declared war on him." Jayfeather meowed, waves of sorrow wafting from him painfully.

There was a long pause before anyone spoke. The prey scuffled around gleefully and birds sang from the trees. Nothing seemed to understand what was happening within the Clans.

"Tigerstar plans to take over ThunderClan as well. But Bramblestar won't let him. I'm afraid it's because of that that Tigerstar keeps coming over and attacking. He takes our prey and claws our fur just for the fun of it and many are dying," Jayfeather seemed chocked up with emotion and Lionstar laid a tail across his brother's back.

"I received a prophecy last night," Lionstar meowed. "I was setting up the feathers for my nest when the waves started lapping far up onto the shore and the wind was fierce. Then someone told me that _Dark waters will rise and roar with the wind. Only with help from the falling flock can we stop the fiercest storm from brewing._" Lionstar repeated what he had heard last night, hoping that the medicine cat could help.

Jayfeather was silent for a very long time. "I also received a dream," he whispered, his blue eyes gazing into depths farther than Lionstar could see. "I was walking down by the lake when the water turned black, and started lapping at the shore until a menacing wave came and overtook me. I struggled under the water until finally I broke free, and was somehow back on the shore. Then I looked up at the sky and the stars were arranged quite peculiar."

He wrinkled his brow at the memory of the dream. "A lion was engraved into the stars, his mane made of leaves. And at that moment I knew that it was you."

Lionstar blinked. As much as he didn't want to believe it, it all made sense.

"You're the one who's going to save us. Lionstar, leader of LeafClan will be the one to defeat Tigerstar once and for all." Jayfeather looked up at his brother, with hope.

Lionstar gulped. He just hoped that when the time came, he was ready. Because if he wasn't then the whole forest would be destroyed. And it'd be all his fault.

* * *

"Okay everybody listen up! We are going to start battle training tonight. We must prepare ourselves for Tigerstar's attack. And I've decided that on the next full moon, when they come to the gathering, we will attack here on the island." Lionstar knew that the sacred truce of StarClan would be broken, but he felt that it was the perfect time to spring an attack.

The others exchanged nervous glances among themselves and whispered quietly. Icepaw and Foxpaw were sound asleep, happy to have finally gotten a good meal. The kits were also resting, and their bellies were slowly growing plumper. All the refugees seemed to be recovering nicely and with Lionstar catching ThunderClan prey every night, even the warriors were getting more fit.

It had been three sunrises since he had found out the truth from Jayfeather. And each night had been spent with the worry of getting caught, the burden of his duties and the painful regrets of bringing so many innocent cats here to fight when it wasn't their battle.

"Smokeclaw! I want you, Tigerheart, Flamepelt and Patchear to start training the apprentices some battle moves. Just because we're not at home doesn't mean we shouldn't be practicing." Lionstar waited for the group to leave before padding up to Streamleaf.

"Will you keep watching the kits? I'm going to hunt for a little while then I'll join the battle practice."

She let out a small purr. "You worry too much, ya know? Everything is going to be fine. StarClan have faith in you and so do the rest of us. When the time comes, we'll make sure Tigerstar never reigns again."

Lionstar nodded, feeling more at ease than he had in a long time. "Thanks," he meowed to the warrior before heading off into the bushes near the fallen log.

Scenting the air, he picked up a tang of squirrel and eagerly crouched down. It had been a few days since he had dug into the furry tailed creature and was anxious to do it again. Creeping low to the ground, his golden fur brushed up against the floor and sent tingles through his paws. Just in time he leaped towards his catch with claws outstretched and tore his teeth into its neck for the killing bite.

Burying the plump prey, he sniffed the air once more and stiffened. A new scent had wafted onto his nostrils and his blood froze with fear. Jumping into the cover of a bush, he hid nervously, praying to StarClan that he wouldn't be caught. Peering cautiously over the top, he gasped at the sight of a gray tom. Wrinkling his nose at the pungent smell of blood, he stepped out of spot and walked over to the scrawny warrior.

"What are you doing here?" he whisper-hissed, making sure that the runaway wasn't being followed.

"Who are you?" the tom demanded, unsheathing his claws.

Lionstar let out a sigh and sat down. Giving his fur a good lick, he hoped it proved to the stray that he wasn't any threat. "I'm Lionstar, leader of LeafClan. Now who are you?"

The gray warrior stared at him blankly before answering. "I'm Crowfeather from WindClan. Now what's this 'LeafClan' that you speak of?" something more flashed in his dark blue eyes but it was gone faster than the golden tom could read it.

"I'll explain later. Are you one of the prisoners?" Lionstar asked, knowing they didn't have much time until Darkstar came and looked for him.

Crowfeather nodded.

"Well give me some tufts of fur and throw it in the water over there," the leader directed, unburying his prey.

The warrior stared at him for a second before pulling out some dark gray fur and sticking it right on the shoreline. Lionstar then tore into the squirrel and let the blood flow out onto the ground near the fur.

"There. Now come on over here with me and we'll get you something to eat." Lionstar beckoned to a thick bramble patch where he tossed the tom the squirrel.

Instantly he devoured the prey, letting out a purr as he took the last bite. Washing his whiskers, Lionstar decided that now would be a good time to explain everything.

"What are you doing out here? Don't you know what could happen to you if were caught?" Lionstar whispered, glancing around nervously.

"Of course I know what could happen, we're being controlled by Tigerstar! But how do you expect us to live? I try to sneak food as often as I can or else everyone starves. I know it's risky but what else am I supposed to do?" Crowfeather meowed, chocked up with emotion. His blue eyes were dull and sad, and Lionstar felt pity for the warrior.

He opened his mouth once more to speak but Lionstar slapped his tail against his muzzle, nodding his head to the shore.

"I'll show that little piece of fox-dung what happens when he messes with me," a deep voice hissed. Crowfeather stiffened beside the golden tom and Lionstar put a tail on his back.

"Hey Darkstar, look at this!" yowled a black tom and Lionstar watched as they headed towards his trap.

He let out a malicious purr at the sight of so much blood. "I guess the ignorant fool tried to escape. Wait until the others find out about his death, maybe then they'll quit trying to escape. Come on Shadow; let's get back to camp. Stupid piece of dung," Darkstar muttered, sprinting back to camp.

Crowfeather looked at the golden tom with awe. "Thanks, how did you think of that?"

Lionstar shrugged. "I think I should probably explain myself though now. I was once an apprentice from ThunderClan, Lionpaw. I was in love with the WindClan apprentice Heatherpaw so when we got our warrior names we both left. Later we found some cats living together and we turned them into a Clan. But soon after I became leader I got a warning from my brother, Jayfeather, that Tigerstar had returned and I needed to come help."

Crowfeather stared at him. "J-Jayfeather…the ThunderClan medicine cat?" he looked distantly at something far past Lionstar's knowledge.

"Yes. He's my brother. And my sister is Hollyfrost, the deputy." He meowed, returning the curious gaze.

"I know." Crowfeather meowed. Lionstar stared at him expectantly but he gave no sign of a further explanation. Letting out a sigh he meowed, "Let's get you onto the island. We'll get a bed set up for you and then I'll announce your arrival."

The gray tom nodded and got to his paws, quickly following the muscular golden tom. They walked in silence, each of their minds buzzing with curiosity. The question that haunted Lionstar the most was how he knew about Jayfeather and Hollyfrost. Because whatever the reason was, he knew that Crowfeather had a secret that he wasn't telling.

All right, not the best ending but oh well. Also, I'm extremely proud to say that I've reached over 100 reviews! Thank you guys sooo much for your support and consistency, I really love it! Anyways, I'd like to thank Moonfirespam23 for being THE hundredth reviewer. Because of that she'll receive:

**A chapter dedicated to her**

**The opportunity to decide which two cats should mate and then pick out their kits' names and descriptions. (She can also choose cats that have already mated if she chooses) **

**Once again thanks so much to everyone who reviewed and keep it up! I hope to hit 150 reviews soon. So get to reviewing!!**


	21. Stirring up Trouble

**AN: OH. MY. GOSH. Volleyball tryouts were terrible today! IT was my first day of school and then right after it was tryouts and I'm so worn out! Then to make it worse, all week we have to go to practice and on Friday they're making cuts. That would be fine if we didn't have to run the mile tomorrow then do sprints. –Ugh- Anyways, I'm trying to cool down now and so I decided to update this story. You guys are so lucky… hope you enjoy the chapter!**

**P.S. If I don't update this week, now you know why. **

Moonlight streamed brightly into the clearing, glowing on top of the cats' pelts. Silver mixed with tabby and the sleeping warriors seemed to merge as one.

Lionstar glanced up into the starry night sky and sighed. It had been a while since the others had fallen asleep and yet he couldn't manage to get some rest. He'd been tossing and turning, not feeling even the slightest bit tired. Deciding to take his mind off his restlessness and the up coming battle, he focused his thoughts onto another topic.

"These apprentices will be warriors in a moon or two," he muttered to himself, staring thoughtfully at the young cats.

"Okay now let's think. What should we call Featherpaw? Hmm… Featherpelt, Featherspots, Featherleaf… no, those just don't sound right," he thought aloud.

"Maybe Featherpool?" but though it sounded pretty, it just didn't seem right for some reason. Staring determinedly at the ground, he struggled to think of the perfect name.

"Feathercloud!" he exclaimed, and let out a purr. That sounded perfect. "One down, four to go…"

Closing his eyes, he lay thoughtfully in his moss nest, thinking of the names of the warriors to be.

Lionstar opened his eyes and took a deep breath. The smell of freshkill was tinged in the air, but hunting was the last thing on the golden tom's mind. Curious, he looked around his surroundings, unsure of where he was. Carefully he padded through the undergrowth, trying hard to avoid sharp thorns and burrs. Suddenly the bushes rustled and he whirled around to see Jayfeather purring in amusement.

"You might be Clan leader but your still a softy," he teased, coming up to playfully cuff his brother over the ear.

"Where did you bring me?" Lionstar persisted, glancing up at the thick canopy of leaves.

"I brought you in a dream. Now follow me," he turned around and disappeared through a thicket of brambles with Lionstar close behind. Running through the unfamiliar forest, Lionstar could see mountains slowly coming over the horizon. Time passed by unnoticed until finally Lionstar recognized the forest.

"Why did you bring me to the camp?" he asked, his tail flicking anxiously.

"You mousebrain," Jayfeather flicked his brother. "Surely you'd like to see your mate, wouldn't you?" as he said the words Heatherstorm stepped out of the bushes, her eyes gleaming with delight.

"Lionstar!" she yowled, rushing forward to dig her muzzle into her mate's fur.

"I'll leave you two alone," Jayfeather meowed a farewell to the lovers before disappearing into the shadows.

"Oh I'm so glad that you're okay! What's been happening down there? How many cats have died? Is LeafClan still doing well? How did you manage to see me?" Heatherstorm poured out questions as she sat down, anxiously awaiting their answers. "Oh, I missed you so much."

"I missed you too. Now let's slow down. Somehow Jayfeather can dream-walk so he managed to get me hear. The LeafClan travelers are doing fine, we're staying safely on the island with plenty of prey and shelter. As for everyone else…" he broke off, thinking about the prisoners of Tigerstar, Hawkstar and Darkstar.

"What's wrong? Tell me everything!" Heatherstorm demanded, her blue eyes filled with concern.

"Well at the gathering where we left, Tigerpaw the reincarnation of Tigerstar, demanded control of everyone. Hawkpaw and Darkpaw, the reincarnations of Hawkfrost and Darkstripe, helped him start a battle on the island along with the BloodClan remnants. Together they managed to drive out the other leaders and gain control of ShadowClan, RiverClan and WindClan. Unfortunately, the cats that disagreed with their ways were pronounced prisoners and are being starved and beaten. Many have died including Honeyfur, Cinderpool, Thornclaw, Leafpool and even Firestar. Bramblestar is now leading ThunderClan but only by a thread. Tigerstar attacks every morning and steals their prey so they're really no better off than the prisoners. Right now we're giving them prey and they're slowly recovering from their wounds. By the next full moon we'll attack on the island." Lionstar finished explaining the circumstances and looked over at his mate.

Heatherstorm shivered with fear, her neck fur bristling with anger and distress. Lionstar quietly padded over to her and licked her gently on the cheek. "Everything will be okay, I promise. My warriors are healthy and fit so they're perfectly ready for battle. I joined their training session for a little bit and the apprentices are catching on quite nicely. They'll be ready for their warrior ceremony in about two moons," the golden tom informed his wife, twining their tails.

She nodded, her heart rate readily decreasing. "That's good. So have you thought about warrior names?"

"I have for Featherpaw. But the others I'm still unsure about," the tom crinkled his nose as he fought to think of some names.

"Well we have plenty of time to think of them. Meanwhile you should probably go back, you'll need all your rest to plan the battle." Heatherstorm looked up into the sky as it started to lighten, dawn threatening to break through at any moment.

"I guess you're right. I'll see you soon," he meowed, giving her a gentle lick.

"Just promise you'll be careful, I can't afford for anything to happen to you," she whispered, her eyes filled with concern for the golden tom. "Especially not now."

He looked at her with confusion. "I promise to be safe…but why especially now?"

"I'm pregnant," she meowed excitedly, the dull look in her eyes now replaced with one of joy.

"That's great!" Lionstar purred happily and nuzzled his mate. "I love you Heatherstorm, I'll be looking towards coming home. Tell everyone I miss them and they should expect my home by the second full moon," Lionstar pressed his muzzle against hers and let out a purr.

"I'll pass along the message," she mewed, her voice quivering with sadness.

"See you soon, take care of yourself. Don't want to harm those kits," he added, shooting a glance at her swollen belly.

"I'd protect them with my life. Now you go, I know you have a busy day ahead of you." Heatherstorm gave him a final lick before heading back into the bushes.

Lionstar waited until her brown tail disappeared from sight before returning to his own dream to sleep peacefully.

"Um, Lionstar? Lionstar are you awake?" mewed a nervous voice.

The golden tom let out a groan before groggily opening his eyes. He squinted against the harsh light and got to his paws.

"What is it Featherpaw?" Lionstar started to lick down his ruffled fur, getting rid of extra moss scraps that were still stuck on him.

"Well, um, I kind of had a dream," she meowed, shifting her paws nervously. "But don't be mad! I know medicine cats and Clan leaders are only supposed to get these kinds of dreams but I couldn't help it! I just fell asleep and then I just woke up and then-" she broke off uncertainly as Lionstar let out a purr of amusement.

"Wait, you're not mad?" she asked, her blue eyes full of disbelief.

"Featherpaw, some of us are specially chosen by StarClan to be sent these dreams. Now, are you sure it wasn't a normal dream?" he asked more seriously.

She nodded. "At first I thought I just ate too much freshkill but I think that it is a real StarClan dream."

"Okay then, what happened?"

"Well, I went to sleep and when I woke up, I was in the middle of the island, right in front of the leader's perch. So then I started rolling around and when I looked up, one cloud had drifted over and sat right above the ShadowClan territory." Featherpaw explained.

"Well what happened after that?" Lionstar wasn't sure what was so special about this dream, but he was willing to listen openly to his apprentice if she thought something was up.

"Well, I didn't think anything of it until a feather floated down from it and disappeared into the pine trees. I mean, a cloud made of feathers, how is that normal?" the white apprentice meowed, looking at him expectantly.

Lionstar stiffened. It was clear now that this was definitely a StarClan dream. "Did anything else happen?" he pressed farther, eager to get to the bottom of this.

"Well, after that two birds appeared and started flying, but they both went in different directions, dropping feathers as they flew." Featherpaw finished.

The golden tom blinked. He had his suspicions about his first dream but as his apprentice spoke, they seemed to be confirming themselves.

"Thanks Featherpaw, I'm glad you told me about this," Lionstar meowed, needing some time alone to think.

"Your welcome. Oh, and what do you think it means? Like why did the cloud go to ShadowClan?" her eyes were full of innocent curiosity.

"I'm not sure," Lionstar lied. "But it's nothing to worry about. We're perfectly safe on the island." The golden tom hoped he would get through to the eager she-cat.

"But even you said it was from StarClan! And they sent it to me so obviously they want me to know something about ShadowClan. Why can't we go find out what it is?" Featherpaw persisted stubbornly.

"Because!" Lionstar snapped, and then sighed for being hard on his apprentice. "Because," he repeated softer, "it is very dangerous to be anywhere but here right now. I promise when the time is right we'll confront Tigerstar and bring him down for good." The leader promised, hoping to get through to the anxious apprentice.

"Okay, you're right," Featherpaw meowed before walking away to join the other apprentices.

Lionstar stared after him, his blood frozen with worry. He saw the look of determination that flashed in Featherpaw's eyes just before she turned away and he knew that it wasn't a good one. The LeafClan leader just hoped that she wouldn't do anything mouse-brained that would get her into trouble…

**AN: Okay, I think you can already guess that she is going to do something dangerous, but you don't know what and I do!! –dances- anyways, I wrote the first part of this on Monday so now I can tell you about today's tryouts. I was supposed to run a mile, but they made us run two so I'm really tired right now. Oh, and on top of that I have to run the same distance on Thursday so I'm really trying to rest. Well, I have to get to bed so just remember to review! And when my pains go away I'll try to give you another chapter. Thanks and review!!**

**Xoxo the extremely worn-out Snowy**


	22. Grave Choice

AN: Wow, it was the last day of try-outs today

AN: Wow, it was the last day of try-outs today. I had to run the mile today and I did it in 7 minutes and 21 seconds so I'm super proud! That's my fastest mile time ever and I'm psyched. Anyways, lots of drama in this chapter so prepare yourself. I will probably update sooner now that the weekend has come so you might get another chapter after this even. Well, you've waited long enough so I'll quit babbling. Enjoy!

"Are you ready to leave?" Lionstar was standing at the end of the tree log, waiting to cross onto the shore. Moonlight glittered onto the gentle water and the golden tom was eager to get going. They had a long way to travel if they planned to get from ThunderClan and back with the queens.

Streamleaf and Tigerheart nodded and Lionstar turned around. Carefully he unsheathed his claws and stepped onto the fallen tree. Sliding his claws against the slippery bark like he had done so many times before, Lionstar made it across nimbly. Shaking his fur down, he glanced back to see the mates helping each other across the plank and onto the safe, solid ground before their leader.

"Let's get going, we have a long way to go," Lionstar whispered, dipping a paw into the icy water. Usually it would have sent chills down his back but he'd done it so many times that the temperature didn't bother him much anymore. The other two however were unused to such frosty waters and they shivered with surprise.

"Is it always this cold?" Streamleaf stuttered, her teeth chattering nosily as she walked through the frigid blue liquids.

The leader opened his mouth to speak but the brown tabby tom beat him to it. "We'll get used to it soon I promise. Until then, its only a quick wade to get from ThunderClan and back so we'll be fine. Besides I'll keep you warm," Tigerheart added, pressing himself closer to the silver warrior.

Lionstar let out a quick purr, unsure if he was supposed to hear the last part or not. He felt new admiration to the noble warrior for his unshakeable determination to try new things and get through them successfully. Picking up his pace slightly, the golden tom sloshed through the water while the stars reflected onto his silky coat.

"Thank goodness we're done!" Streamleaf let out a shiver and shook her fur, eager to get dry and warm. The chilly breeze swept through the journeying cats and even Lionstar had to admit how cold it was. Licking down his fur with his rough tongue, he managed to warm his pelt and pad through the forest confidently.

Slipping quietly through the undergrowth, Lionstar stopped to sit beside a large holly bush. Laying down he waited for the others to catch up as a raspy voice sounded through the branches.

"Thunder," it murmured warily.

"Leaf," Lionstar meowed in return. Instantly the voice was matched with a body as a dark ginger she-cat emerged from her cover.

"Hi Squirrelflight," Lionstar purred. He was happy that his mother was there to greet him on the check in part of the journey.

"Follow me to camp." Squirrelflight turned and walked passed the checkpoint bush to disappear under a thicket of brambles. Lionstar looked behind him to see his warriors guiding one another through the dense undergrowth that lied in their path. Upon seeing their leader, they nodded their heads for him to go and he readily dove into the camp.

"I thought you might show up tonight," Bramblestar teased. Every cat in ThunderClan knew that the golden tom made trips to camp at least once a day.

Lionstar let out a purr of acknowledgement as he weaved his way to the nursery. The smell of milk wafted heavily from the safely enclosed den and memories of his own kithood flooded into the tom's mind. Suddenly he jolted from his thoughts as he realized there were a couple of new faces lying quietly in the back.

"Whitewing, Cinderpool, what are you doing here?" last night the nursery had been full enough with Ferncloud, Daisy and Millie all nursing but with two more queens it was obvious everything was crowded.

"Jayfeather announced we're having kits!" Whitewing answered while purring happily. Cinderpool's eyes were also full of delight as she stared joyfully at her swollen belly.

"That's great!" Lionstar exchanged happy glances with each of the queens before looking at them expectantly.

"Oh right! Birchfall and Mousewhisker are the father of the kits," Whitewing explained, her eyes shining with pride at the apprentice she grew up with that was now her mate. Cinderpool was equally as proud as she stared longingly at the warriors' den that housed her gray and white mate.

"Well something will look suspicious if I take all of you," Lionstar meowed, looking about anxiously.

"Why don't we take Whitewing and Cinderpool with us?"

The golden tom had forgotten the presence of his warriors and he looked thoughtfully at the silver she-cat.

"Well he'll realize if Ferncloud is gone; she's been a queen for many moons. and he is very offensive against prior kittypets that have joined the clan so I'm sure he'll notice if Millie or Daisy are gone," Streamleaf explained gently, hoping not to sound offensive. But neither she-cat was defensive over the comment so she continued. "And none of you are expecting, correct?"

All three shook their heads.

"Then you should be safe here. Anyone expecting kits will need plenty of prey to nurse their young, and therefore I believe that Whitewing and Cinderpool should come with us," Streamleaf looked up at Lionstar for approval and let out a sigh of relief as he nodded.

"I believe what my warrior said makes sense. They are new queens and their presence will not be missed. If you two are fit to travel then we'll leave tonight." Lionstar kneaded the ground anxiously at the growing of dawn. Moonlight was slowly fading away and the coming of morning would easily give away their presence. On top of that Tigerstar would be arriving soon and if they didn't hurry, Lionstar would be caught in one of his morning battles for prey.

"We may be pregnant but we're not incapable," Cinderpool meowed defensively, getting to her paws. Whitewing meowed her agreement and together the two queens were guided out of the nursery with meows of sorrowful farewell.

"Keep her safe," whispered a desperate voice and Lionstar started.

"Don't worry Birchfall, we have plenty of fit warriors and abundant sources of prey on the island so she'll be okay. And so will Cinderpool," Lionstar added as Mousewhisker padded up beside the light brown tom.

"I love you Whitewing," Birchfall meowed, licking his mate affectionately. Cinderpool and Mousewhisker touched noses before he stepped away and let her be guided out of camp.

Lionstar's paws itched to be going. Faint rays of sunlight were already pushing passed the thick layer of darkness that was enclosing the sky. Tigerstar would be there any minute and then he would be in trouble.

Just as they left camp, loud rustling could be heard nearby. Lionstar's blood froze and everyone else knew what was coming. Quickly the group of five sprinted away from camp, trying to stay as quiet as possible. Nervously the group darted into the cover of a leafy bush and no one dared to breath.

Stiffly Lionstar waited anxiously as they charged into camp, letting out fury yowls as they went in. after what seemed like 10 cats burst into camp Lionstar got to his paws and flicked his tail for them to leave.

"Tigerstar what's that smell?"

The group froze with fear, knowing the smell was them. Falling to the ground, Lionstar waited patiently as Tigerstar came back out and took a whiff.

"That would be the smell of fear. Now let's go enforce it," the wicked cat jumped into camp followed by the confused warrior.

Positive that they were gone, Lionstar wasted no time in sprinting from camp followed quickly by the others. Not even stopping for a breath the golden tom plunged into the belly-deep water and sloshed through it quickly, sending up droplets as he ran. He could hear the others heaving with effort to keep up but they were still in sight of the ThunderClan camp which made them at risk of being caught. The island finally coming into view, Lionstar sprinted the rest of the way and happily climbed onto the log, clawing his way to shore.

"I…n-need… rest," Whitewing stuttered, falling to the ground in a heap. Cinderpool joined her and the two queens attempted to groom each other's fur. Followed by them were Tigerheart and Streamleaf who barely made it to the island clearing when they lay down to rest.

Seeing that the travelers were happily sharing tongues, Lionstar looked around the clearing and smiled.

Patchear and Flamepelt were sharing a piece of freshkill, looking happier than they normally did. Smokeclaw, Mistpool and Sunstorm could be seen hunting together through the brush, and each of them seemed to have a plentiful amount of freshkill collected. Bumblekit, Briarkit, Rosekit and Toadkit were chasing butterflies and pouncing on leaves, pretending to attack ShadowClan. Applepaw and Oakpaw were playing in a patch of grass, practicing their battle moves. Tinypaw and Dawnpaw were arguing over whom did a better hunter's crouch and eventually they tumbled over with each other playfully.

"I wonder where Featherpaw is?" Lionstar thought aloud. Curious, he padded over to her siblings and stared at them thoughtfully.

"Hello Dawnpaw. Tinypaw," the leader dipped his head to each apprentice.

Suddenly aware of their foolishness they shot upright and acknowledged their leader, quickly grooming down their fur.

"Do you guys know where Featherpaw is," Lionstar asked looking expectantly at the two young cats.

They exchanged a troubled look and looked down at their paws. Tinypaw shuffled uneasily and finally looked up in the golden tom's eyes. "Well, she kind of left right after you did to well," he broke off uncertainly.

"To do what?" Lionstar demanded, growing more worried and anxious as each precious moment went by.

"To go to ShadowClan."

Ooh, exciting right? Ha ha, you get a cliffhanger! I'll try to update soon but if you don't review then I can't. So get to typing those reviews!!

**-Snowy**


	23. Searching for Feather

**AN: Can you believe Featherpaw's foolishness? Well you'll find out more about it in this chapter. Enjoy!**

Lionstar wasn't sure whether to be angry or scared. Inside he felt like his heart was going to explode with the unrealistic effect it seemed to have. His blood was frozen and his muscled stiffened up. How could she have been so naïve?

"She what?!" the golden tom let out a frustrated hiss. As if he didn't have enough to worry about, his apprentice had to go wander onto ShadowClan territory alone. He swore that he'd kill her if Tigerstar didn't get to it first.

"I-I'm sorry!" Tinypaw shrunk back from the angry leader. Dawnpaw also seemed alarmed, her eyes wide with fear.

"Sorry I snapped. How come you didn't tell somebody? And how did she get off the island?" Lionstar had so many questions and yet there wasn't any time to spare.

"Well at first we thought she wouldn't do it but then after you left she went missing and we knew she did. But she told us not to mention the dream to anyone because we were the only ones who knew other than you. And since you were off at ThunderClan…" Tinypaw looked up at the golden tom.

Lionstar sighed. "Okay fine. But how did she get off the island again?" he was hoping she swam through as she'd have less chance of getting caught than she would traveling through RiverClan territory.

"She went across RiverClan territory."

Lionstar couldn't hold back the growl that erupted from his throat. His apprentice had a lot to learn if she planned to become a warrior any time soon.

"I'm going to get her now. Tell the others where I went and practice some fighting moves. We might need them sooner than I thought." the golden tom didn't want to think about what would happen if ShadowClan got a hold of her. He shivered at the thought.

"Okay Lionstar!" Tinypaw got to his paws and bounded away, followed closely behind by Dawnpaw.

"Wait one more thing," Lionstar had just one more thing to say.

"Where did Crowfeather run off to?" he hadn't seen the dark gray tom all morning.

Both apprentices shrugged and returned their thoughts on the tasks they were given. Lionstar yowled angrily into the sky. His first concern was to find Featherpaw before it was too late. But if he didn't get back in time and Crowfeather revealed their spot to Darkstar… Lionstar was torn between loyalties.

"I'll go get Featherpaw first. Crowfeather is a warrior and knows how to take care of himself if he runs into trouble at least." Lionstar murmured aloud, starting to pickup pace. Silently he ran to the end of the island and plunged into the icy depths of the lake, unable to waste time by traveling around the lake. Featherpaw had a great head start and he needed to get onto ShadowClan territory as soon as possible.

Shivering at the touch of the water on the chilly day, Lionstar's fur clung heavily against his soaking pelt. Cold water seeped into his skin, chilling him to the bone. Usually he would've just walked along the shoreline, but swimming directly across would be much quicker.

Looking around the shore, he searched hopefully for a small white pelt hiding among the reeds. But much to his despair nothing could be seen other than the swaying plants on the lakeshore. Frustrated, Lionstar focused on swimming once more, carefully paddling with one paw after another. He had become a strong swimmer on the journey because of the trips to ThunderClan and could easily be mistaken for a RiverClan cat as he swiftly swam through the blue pool.

"Lionstar wait up!"

The golden tom's heart flipped at the sudden disturbance of silence. Just behind him he could make out the silver pelt of Streamleaf coming at him quickly.

"Featherpaw is my niece; Snowflower is my sister. If anyone should find her, dead or alive, I want to be there so I can break the news to her with a first-hand experience. Plus she is young and needs to be handled carefully if you don't want her to become rebellious." Streamleaf's eyes were filled with sorrow, as she knew the presumed fate of her sister's kit. However there was a fierce determination that shone brighter in her eyes, a certain type of bravery to face every challenge head on, that caught Lionstar off guard and he readily accepted her help.

"I'd gladly take you," Lionstar meowed looking forward once more towards the land. A thick fog had settled over the horizon, making it impossible to see more than a tail-length ahead of you. Taking a deep breath the leader picked up his pace and emerged into the fog, blinking back tears as the muggy air entered his eyes. In silence the two warriors padded on, focusing heavily on making it to land.

"The water is getting shallower," Lionstar observed. Soon it only came to his belly and he was able to wade along carefully until solid ground was reached. Heaving with effort he shook his fur dry and flopped to the ground, taking a gulp of fresh air. Streamleaf joined him shortly after and both cats enjoyed their quick rest.

"We should start looking for her now," Lionstar meowed getting to his paws.

The silver tabby nodded and stood up, shaking the dirt from her fur. Lionstar left the fog behind him in the water as they padded through the pine forest.

Crouching low to the ground, Lionstar walked along silently as if he were stalking prey. All around him the creatures were silent, the change in weather affecting everything's behavior. Opening his eyes wide Lionstar searched desperately for his apprentice, jumping at every movement in the bushes. Opening his mouth he drew in the scents of the forest, and perked up at the smell of his apprentice.

"This way," the golden tom whispered in case they were near camp. Staying just outside the shoreline Lionstar managed to pinpoint her scent among the others that surrounded him. Twitching his whiskers, he realized they had come just outside the camp where Tigerstar was yowling loudly.

Anxious the leader sprinted up a tree, clawing his way up the bark as the needles snagged his pelt. Finding an opening amongst the branches, he stepped lightly onto the spot and watched intently as Tigerstar ruled below.

A line of prisoners had been made around a huge pile of bones. Just around them were the fit warriors, their claws unsheathed with the prospect of attack. Tigerstar stood on top of it, yowling words that were inaudible to the golden tom. Not a single cat spoke out, even the tiniest kit sat patiently as the broad tom addressed them. Swiveling his ears, he managed to make out the words "trouble" and "punishment".

His heart stopped beating with fear. Featherpaw! He longed to jump down and burst into camp to attack the wicked cats but he knew that his lives would be taken easily. Instead, he watched in horror at the sight below him.

A small orange tom was shoved out from the group, guarded closely by two large tabbies. The apprentice quivered with fear as Tigerstar came up to him, his nose pressed firmly against the young cats'.

He hissed insults at the apprentice who shrank back with fright. Tigerstar snarled menacingly before stepping back and lying down beside the hill to groom his fur. But Lionstar let out a sigh of relief all too soon. One of the guards came forward and attacked the apprentice, his orange fur stained with red. After a few agonizing moments he stepped back to reveal the limp body of the creature.

A loud yowl was heard from the queens and a tortoiseshell stepped forward to lick his fur clean. The others quickly dispersed while the killer innocently licked the blood off of his claws before heading into a den. Silently the she-cat picked up the body and dragged him out into the forest before returning to camp and heading back silently into the den.

"Why, I can't believe," Streamleaf broke off as she looked painfully into her leader's eyes.

"Me either. I can only imagine what they did to Featherpaw." The golden tom felt choked with emotion as he thought of his former apprentice.

"Are you kidding? Those mouse-brains didn't catch me!"

Both cats shot up with surprise, nearly falling off the narrow branch. Lionstar unsheathed his claws and managed to catch himself before looking up curiously into the branches.

"Featherpaw!" they exclaimed in unison as the she-cat hopped neatly from branch to branch. Her white fur had been matted with mud making it impossible to spot her from any distance.

"Why did you come here? Don't you know how dangerous it is to be here, especially alone? You could've gotten killed!" Lionstar was relieved she was okay but was now burning with anger at her stupidity.

Streamleaf shot him a warning glance and quickly intercepted. "There will be time for explaining later. Let's get back to the island quickly though before it starts to rain."

"Okay. I'll go get Flamepaw and the kits then." Featherpaw clawed her way down the tree and padded over to the limp body of the young tom.

"Are you alright?" she whispered, licking his fur gently. He stirred slightly and she let out a purr. "Lionstar is here now, just like I said. We'll go back to the island now." She nudged the tom to his paws and helped him limp to the group.

"Mosskit and Nightkit are hiding over there in that bush. Do you think they could come with us too?" Flamepaw wheezed.

"Well I certainly am not leaving them here." Lionstar padded over to the bush that Flamepaw had indicated, letting out a purr at the two bundles of fur that greeted him.

"W-who are you?" a black tom stuttered nervously.

"Please don't hurt us," whimpered the gray she-cat next to him. Both were quivering with fear and looked to be about 3 moons old.

"I wouldn't hurt you," Lionstar promised, guiding them from the bush. Streamleaf came over and picked up the black tom while Lionstar himself grabbed his sister.

Mouth full of fur Lionstar just flicked his tail for everyone to leave and carefully wove his way to through the pines. Traveling silently they made it to the shore in no time and Lionstar dove once more into the water. This time however he swam more slowly, having everyone he needed right there with him.

The thick fog seemed to have gotten heavier since his previous trip and he struggled to breath with the kit dangling from his mouth. He'd forgotten how heavy such tiny kits could be and his paws were growing weary by the second.

"Look the island!" Featherpaw began swimming faster, guiding Flamepaw as she swam. Lionstar watched after her with awe, wondering how such a young cat became such a natural-born swimmer. Flamepaw however was barely staying afloat, only managing to swim with periodic help from Featherpaw.

Adjusting his eyes to the new light, Lionstar recognized the familiar land and crawled onto shore, letting go of the she-kit he held in his mouth. Not wasting any time she and her brother scampered off to explore. Lionstar called out warnings to each of them but wouldn't be surprised if they didn't hear them.

"I think I'll go with them," Featherpaw meowed, anxiously turning away.

"Not so fast." Lionstar got to his paws and looked sternly at the two apprentices. "What possessed you to go to ShadowClan? Don't you know how dangerous it is over there? They are _evil _cats. They will kill you for StarClan's sake!" Lionstar was becoming exasperated with how defiant she was.

Flamepaw let out a defensive hiss but both LeafClan cats ignored him.

"Well my dream was trying to tell me something! And you wouldn't listen and nobody would come with me so I had to go by myself." The mud plastered to her fur was dripping off, forming a brown puddle beneath her feet.

The LeafClan leader let out a hiss of annoyance. "But you can't just go wandering away onto other clans' territory. What if you ran into them and they attacked? How could we possibly explain to your mother what happened?"

Featherpaw looked down at her paws. Figuring that he'd finally gotten through to her, Lionstar softened his tone. "We were worried sick about you Featherpaw. Everyone thought Tigerstar had killed you. Do you know how that made us feel?"

"I'm sorry. But I truly thought the dream meant something. And then I met Flamepaw trying to escape with some kits and I took them with me and he went back to camp. Then I watched from the tree until you showed up," Featherpaw explained, hoping not to get into too much trouble.

A sigh escaped from the golden tom. He knew there was no point in arguing any further. "Fine," he muttered reluctantly, "have it your way. But just know that you could've gotten yourself killed along with all of your clanmates. Now I want you to go over there and change everybody's moss." Featherpaw started to complain but Lionstar interrupted her. "Then you can go and search everyone for ticks."

Padding away, the she-cat lashed her tail angrily and muttered under her breath.

"I'll set up some more beds for you and the kits, okay?" Lionstar got to his paws and looked at the ragged orange tom.

"Okay. Do you have any cobwebs and dock? I want to heal my wounds before they get too bad." Flamepaw started licking his fur clean of blood.

Lionstar gave him a blank look.

"I was training to be a medicine cat before my brother turned evil. I managed to learn a few things though in the few sunrises that I had been training. Now how about those herbs?"

**AN: So know you found out a little more about Flamepaw. He'll be semi-important in this story for the next couple of chapters. Also, sorry it took so long to update; I've been extremely busy the past couple week so ya. Hope you liked the chapter and definitely review! I love reviews so be sure to send them in!!**

**Snowy**


	24. The Falling Flock

**AN: Wow has it been a while since I updated. Sorry everybody for the long wait, I don't think I've ever been so busy in my life. But I'll try to update when I can but I have a lot of homework to do so I make no promises. Hopefully I'll get between 2 or 3 updates a month but maybe not. Anyways, enjoy this chapter!**

Lionstar woke with a start, his sides heaving. Sweat ran down his back and the golden tom struggled to control his breath. The cool night breeze ruffled his fur and the tom sighed. Everything had just been a dream. The claws flashing, the cats dying, it had all been a dream. However it all seemed too real, and somehow the leader knew it had to be a warning of what was to come.

Trying to refocus his thoughts he gingerly climbed out of his mossy nest and stretched in the moonlight. A few stars glittered in the sky above him and the moon shone brightly into the clearing. Leaves rustled gently in the wind and the tom plunged through a thicket of brambles to walk along the shoreline. Waves lapped gently against the sandy ground and Lionstar felt himself relaxing once more.

"Um, Lionstar?"

The golden tom shot around, his hackles rising. A bird fluttered away with a loud warning call and the leader bore his teeth in a snarl.

"Who's there?" he meowed dangerously, unsheathing his claws.

"I-it's just me," stuttered an unsure voice and Lionstar sighed in relief.

Letting his fur lie flat the tom sat down with his tail curled neatly around his paws. "You scared me Flamepaw," the tom purred, grooming his ruffled fur.

"Sorry. It's just that I couldn't sleep, and I figured since you were up that I could tell you about my dream." The orange apprentice limped out from the bushes, plastered in cobwebs and poultices.

The golden tom nodded. He knew how it felt to have startling dreams and patiently he waited for the visitor to continue.

"Well, it's actually not just a dream. It was a sign from StarClan. I'd been receiving many of these lately, all revolving around birds and feathers and what-not. So when Featherpaw showed up on ShadowClan territory and then I got back here and met Crowfeather too, I realized what they meant." The tom paused and looked up at the older warrior.

Lionstar wondered when Crowfeather had gotten back, or where he even went in the first place but he decided to wait until the morning to ask the gray tom. "Go on," he beckoned for Flamepaw to continue.

"Well the falling flock, the words that Runningnose whispered in my dreams, has to be Featherpaw and Crowfeather and someone else. Do you know anyone else with a bird name?" the ShadowClan apprentice looked curiously at the LeafClan leader.

Lionstar stared thoughtfully into the darkness. "Jayfeather!" he exclaimed at last, getting to his paws. "Featherpaw, Crowfeather and Jayfeather must be the ones mentioned."

Flamepaw nodded eagerly. "Is Jayfeather here?"

"No. Well, yes I guess. You see, Jayfeather is the ThunderClan medicine cat and my brother. Which I guess makes us your cousins along with the ThunderClan deputy, Hollyfrost." Lionstar's paws were itching with excitement. So this was what StarClan was trying to tell him, those were the cats that would help save the Clans from Tigerstar!

"Actually Flamepaw, StarClan has been sending me signals too. I just hadn't put it all together yet. Thank you though, things are beginning to make more sense now." Lionstar sat lost in thought as the orange apprentice nodded and padded quietly away.

So his apprentice, his brother and a WindClan stranger were going to help save the Clans. Now all he had to figure out was how…

* * *

"And don't forget to get fresh moss!" Lionstar let out a purr as his apprentice lashed her tail in frustration. He knew she was upset about her punishment but she'd have to learn eventually. Turning around on the warm ground he headed into the bushes for something to eat.

The sun shone brightly overhead, glowing on the island shore. Waves sparkled against the yellow rays as they slapped onto the shore. Birds were chattering excitedly overhead as the golden tom picked his way through the undergrowth. Opening his mouth he could smell a thrush nearby and eagerly crouched down.

"Nice catch!" Lionstar nodded with a mouth full of feathers as he set down his prey.

"Aren't you supposed to be fetching fresh moss?" he stared at Featherpaw knowingly.

"Yes but I got hungry," the she-cat insisted stubbornly.

"Well then in that case you can hunt for all the queens and kits. When they're all fed then you can eat and finish cleaning out the bedding." Lionstar was determined to make his apprentice learn her lesson.

"That's not fair," Featherpaw began, but stopped when she saw her mentor's warning glare. With one last mutter under her breath she stalked away in search of prey.

Lionstar picked up his catch once more and padded into the clearing. Setting the limp creature onto the makeshift pile he bunched up his hind muscles and sprang onto the leaders' perch.

"Let all cats gather around for a Clan meeting!" he yowled his words across the island so that it echoed through the treetops and into the sky.

Applepaw and Oakpaw tumbled into the clearing to stand before their leader. he noticed that their fur was covered in burrows and guessed they'd been practicing some fighting moves. Looking near the back of the island came out Tinypaw and Dawnpaw, each with a piece of freshkill in their mouth. Quickly throwing their prey onto the pile they joined their fellow apprentices in hushed whispers.

Streamleaf padded out into the clearing, stretching her agile legs. Coming to sit beside the anxious apprentices she leaned down and whispered something to them. Instantly they all sat up quietly and turned to listen to their leader.

"I wanna join the meeting!" Lionstar watched amusingly as Bumblekit, Briarkit, Nightkit and Mosskit tumbled into the clearing, followed by Tigerheart who was cursing under his breath.

"Get back here! This meeting is for apprentices and warriors only," the tabby growled. But a hint of admiration shone in his eyes and Lionstar knew that he was secretly fond of the tiny cats. Instantly the kits stopped and sulked back to the tom that sat them down quietly beside him on the edge of the clearing.

Whitewing came up behind him and beckoned him off as she and Cinderpool watched the kits play. Their bellies were getting larger and larger every day and Lionstar was expecting the kits to be born in about a moon.

Featherpaw soon joined the group, shaking scraps of moss from her pelt. Sitting down with the rest of the cats she looked up at the leader.

"As you know we've taken in many cats. One of which would be Flamepaw, the medicine cat for ThunderClan," Lionstar flicked his head toward the ginger tom who was sorting through some herbs he'd collected from the island.

"I've listened to what he's said and I'm more convinced than ever that Tigerstar is getting more and more dangerous every day. So I'd like to assess all the battle training today as soon as I get back from ThunderClan. We need to prepare for the battle on the full moon. It'll be brightest then and we can strike confidently in the dark." Lionstar hated the depressing topic of battle but he knew they must start preparing soon.

Anxious murmurs sounded below the muscular tom as the cats digested the information.

"Does the battle have to happen so soon?"

"What about the sacred truce of StarClan?"

"How many of us will actually make it through the battle?"

Lionstar's heart couldn't have felt heavier. He knew they were right but somehow, even now, he couldn't bring himself to admit that he was leading innocent cats to their deaths.

After the whispers died own Lionstar carefully continued. "I know this is risky but these cats are the ones that shaped the code, the code that is now your life. It's only fair to avenge them by killing Tigerstar. Now who would like to join me on today's journey to ThunderClan? We have to hurry so that we don't run into Tigerstar again." The LeafClan leader didn't want to take any more risks than he had to, especially with such a huge fight ready to occur.

"I'll come," Tigerheart got to his paws and stepped forward, his muscles rippling from his glossy pelt. He came forward to sit in front of Lionstar with his eyes gleaming determinedly. "I think we need to get the elders out of ThunderClan too along with any other kits that are there. It isn't safe for them to be in such a violent environment."

Lionstar nodded his thanks then looked expectantly at the others.

"I'll come."

The golden tom let out a start. Was Patchear being serious?

"If I'm going to follow this code then I'd like to meet the cats that enforce it. Plus I'm tired of being stuck on this mouse-forsaken island. What's a cat supposed to do over here anyways?" The black and white tom hissed under his breath and Lionstar sighed. He pitied the apprentice who'd have to take care of such a grumpy elder. Then a thought came to him, it'd be his kits that'd have to do that. It still seemed unreal that he'd have kits of his own very soon but he couldn't wait to watch them grow into warriors.

"Can apprentices come to the Clans too?" Featherpaw's mew interrupted the tom's thoughts.

He looked thoughtfully down on his apprentice. Even though she was on punishment it could still be a good opportunity for her to learn what it really means to join a Clan. Maybe she could learn some discipline from them too.

"Only if they promise to me on their best behavior," he warned.

Featherpaw let out a squeal and groomed her fur quickly, coming to stand by Tigerheart and Patchear. The other cats quickly dispersed. Most apprentices caught up with their mentors and went eagerly back to training.

Once the other selected cats were ready, Lionstar waded into the icy water as he set off for his destination.

* * *

"Hi Jayfeather!"

The overpowering smell of herbs wafted into the leader's mouth. Featherpaw stood behind him anxiously, trying to sort out the different scents.

"Hello Lionstar, who's that with you?" the gray tom meowed without turning around from his bundle of leaves. He stood over a small white bundle of fur and gently put a poultice onto her wounds. Lionstar winced as he remembered the wretched day that Blossomkit was gruesomely attacked and he just hoped the poor she-kit would make it to her apprenticeship.

Featherpaw looked up with a start, curious as to how the blind cat knew she was there.

"I'm not as blind as you think," Jayfeather meowed in amusement, obviously reading her thoughts. That quieted the white she-cat quickly.

"This is Featherpaw, she's my apprentice," Lionstar explained.

"I see. She seems quite energetic, much like Hollypaw was. I can tell she's a thinker, and does what she thinks is right, which might not always be a wise choice." Jayfeather seemed to be talking more to the she-cat than his brother and Featherpaw could tell too. Was this his way of kindly telling the apprentice to behave more?

"So what's on your mind? You're as anxious as an owl." Jayfeather put away the dark green leaves and turned to face his brother. His sightless blue gaze seemed to be staring right at the warrior, and Lionstar nervously looked down.

"Well, Featherpaw ran off to ShadowClan yesterday and luckily she returned along with Flamepaw, Tawnypelt's kit." Lionstar went on to explain the apprentice's dreams, along with his own. "He told me that he knew what my dreams meant, the one about the falling flock." Lionstar broke off as he remembered that Featherpaw was still in the room.

"Why don't you go to the nursery and check on Rosekit and Toadkit. I'm sure they'd love for you to teach them everything you know about being an apprentice," Jayfeather kindly suggested.

Perking up the white she-cat instantly bounded away so that the two siblings could talk in peace.

"Well, you, Featherpaw and Crowfeather are the falling flock. Out of the flock of birds flying in our dreams, the feathers are the ones that keep falling. A jay feather, a crow feather and a pigeon feather because it's white. It was just a sign indicating that you three were chosen. So according to the dreams, you'll be the ones to help us defeat Tigerstar." Lionstar wasn't sure that was the best approach at the situation but he didn't know how else to say it.

Jayfeather stiffened and stared blankly at the LeafClan leader. Lionstar fidgeted under his gaze and wished he knew what his brother was thinking. Was it right to tell him the fate StarClan had planned?

"Me?" the gray tom whispered at last. He slunk to the ground and looked sightlessly at the sky. "So that's what all of it meant…"

"All of what?" Lionstar cocked his head.

"I have the ability to walk through dreams. Sometimes I don't mean to, I just go to sleep and things appear to me. I didn't know that they were Flamepaw's but I saw what you were mentioning. I just never imagined it'd be us." Jayfeather looked lost in thought and the golden tom lightly touched his shoulder with his tail.

"So how do we do it? If this is what StarClan wants then how do we follow through with it?" Jayfeather sat up and was beginning to return to his normal self once more.

"Well I've been thinking about that…"

**AN: Okay the chapters have been getting longer as you can tell so I would like more reviews! If not then you'll never get to find out what Lionstar's plan is with the Falling Flock. See, didn't that make sense though with the feathers? Lol anyways just be sure to review and I'll post the next chapter quicker! (I have it typed so when you get to read it relies on you) **


	25. Battle Plans

**AN: I just realized I made a mistake. Technically there aren't any kits in the nursery because I took Rosekit and Toadkit to the island… I'll have to go fix that. Just pretend that they're still here though. **

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!" Bramblestar yowled the words across the stony hollow to the ThunderClan cats below.

Lionstar padded out of the nursery, followed by Featherpaw. She was worn out from playing with the kits and the golden warrior hoped it would teach her to settle down more. Patchear and Tigerheart appeared from the warrior's den, sharing tongues with Dustpelt and Thornclaw. The four warriors seemed to be getting along nicely and Lionstar refocused his gaze onto the dark tabby leader.

"Lionstar has some important news to share with you all," the tom meowed proudly and stepped over so that his son could join him on the rocky ledge.

"I've constructed a plan for battle. It's risky but we haven't much other choice. Crowfeather will sneak to WindClan and RiverClan and warn the other prisoners from there. We must bring them small freshkill amounts and prepare them for the fight. Meanwhile Jayfeather needs to warn the other medicine cats of what's to come. They can prepare their herb stock. Meanwhile I have an important task for my own apprentice." The tom turned to look at his apprentice who sat up a little taller.

"I need you to go spy on ShadowClan. You have to find out their plans and so far you are the only one who really knows the territory well. You've done it before, could you do it again?" Lionstar knew it was a lot to ask from such a young cat but he had trust in his apprentice to return safely.

"ME?!" Featherpaw's blue eyes widened with shock. "But I got in trouble last time! And what if I get caught, I don't think I can do it." The she-cat quivered with fear and Tigerheart pressed comfortingly against her.

"Trust me, I know you can. Meanwhile everyone here will need traveling herbs. They will give you strength and keep you from getting hungry so that when I bring you the food it'll last longer. Whenever you get free time battle training is something that must be done so that every cat is in shape." Lionstar paused and watched as murmurs of agreement sounded from the cats below. "Now who isn't well enough to stay here?"

Jayfeather quietly padded out from the nursery with Blossomkit in his jaws. The other cats turned to face him and anxiously awaited his news as the small bundle was placed gently on the ground.

"How is she?" Millie dared to whisper as she crawled out of the nursery towards her only she-kit.

"M-mom?"

"Oh Blossomkit!" the silver tabby shot forward and dug her nose into the kits soft fur. The white she-kit squirmed under her mothers grasp and wriggled out of the way.

"Jayfeather fixed me up! I'm all better now, can I be an apprentice? And where are Bumblekit and Briarkit?" Blossomkit staggered to her paws, only to fall over with a thud.

"They're on the island with the LeafClan cats. Now you just lie down and wait for Lionstar to take you there too." Millie licked her kit vigorously, waves of relief flooding from her pelt.

"They're on the island! Does that mean that they're already apprentices?" the she-kits eyes were full of sadness that made the others purr.

"Of course not. You'll all be made apprentices together. Now quit fidgeting so that I can groom you," Millie scolded.

As the anxious mother continued dealing with her kit, the other warriors returned their gazes onto Lionstar. "Anyone else," the golden tom called out. When no one answered he jumped off the ledge and headed back to the medicine den.

"If you can walk through dreams then will you be able to tell the other medicine cats about the battle planned?" Lionstar herded his brother into the small crevice to talk privately. A chilly breeze ruffled through the hollow whispering through the swaying leaves. It was a good day for hunting; the smell of prey was fresh on the air, but no one in ThunderClan could bother with such a task at the moment.

"How do you expect me to do that," Jayfeather retorted hotly. "Ever since Tigerstar took over again the medicine cats have been treated as prisoners just as much as every other cat out there has. We've skipped almost four Moonpool meetings and aside from my dreams I don't think anyone else has gotten dreams from StarClan. It's as if they know there's nothing they can do about it." The gray tom's tone changed into one of hopelessness and he looked down sorrowfully at his paws.

"But you can walk through dreams right? You brought me to Heatherstorm that one night, couldn't you bring the other medicine cats to your dreams?" Lionstar perked his golden ears hopefully, anticipation gnawing at him like an enemy warrior. Even though Jayfeather was blind, the leader stared at him anxiously awaiting an answer.

"I suppose so. But what should I tell them?" Lionstar knew he'd convinced his brother, now it was just a matter of telling everyone else.

"Make sure they know that help has arrived. Be as vague as possible because this can't slip out. Just tell them to prepare their cats with as much herb help as possible and to be ready on the full moon." Lionstar was about to say more but a new scent tinged the herb-filled den and both toms flicked their ears up to hear Featherpaw inching quietly into the den like she was stalking prey.

"I agree, the prey does seem exceptionally juicy in this weather," Jayfeather meowed with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Yes, the squirrels are really tasty nowadays. Why you wouldn't believe what I ate for dinner-" Lionstar turned to scratch at an imaginary tick on his tail and let out a gasp of fake surprise. "Oh Featherpaw! We didn't see you there!" Lionstar could hardly suppress a purr as his apprentice perked up. He knew she was sensitive about her flashy snow-white fur and the remark would give her a confident boost.

"Really? Yes! I'm going to practice my stalking skills all through the island and see how many people I can sneak up on. I'll be as good as ShadowClan soon. Then when we get home," Featherpaw seemed full of refreshed energy as she began to chat about the skills she'd practice to be the best warrior.

"So what did you come in here for," Lionstar asked gently. He didn't want to suppress her happiness but they didn't have time to share tongues so openly.

"Oh ya! Well, I don't know if I can go to ShadowClan again. I mean, what if I get caught? And besides, I'm only an apprentice… I don't know anything." Featherpaw shuffled her paws uneasily, her gleeful gaze replaced with one of defeat.

Jayfeather tilted his head then got to his paws, going to the back of the den to sort through herbs while his brother had a talk with the hesitant apprentice.

"You did it before, right?" Lionstar pressed. He didn't want to risk anymore lives than he had to but it was obvious Featherpaw had known what she was doing.

"I guess," the apprentice nodded uncertainly.

"Then I'm positive you can do it again. How would the other apprentices react when you said you want to ShadowClan _twice_?" Lionstar was hoping he was sounding persuasive enough to convince the fearful she-cat.

Featherpaw thought about this as she looked down at her dainty paws. "You're right, they'd all be really impressed! I bet none of them have ever done something like that. Wait 'til they find out!" she was starting to act like her self once more and Lionstar sighed relieved. Two cats down, one to go.

"I guess now all we have to do is talk to Crowfeather…"

* * *

"Blossomkit!" The small tom stumbled forward to see his sister, followed closely by Briarkit.

"So this is where the gatherings happen?" Blossomkit stared wide-eyed around the grassy island, the sight of the leaders' perch making her gasp. "This is amazing!" she squeaked and ran towards the bushes to go play.

"These kits sure do have a lot of energy," Lionstar jumped as Tigerheart padded up beside him. "I remember when Spottednose and Poppyleaf were kits…" he looked into the distance as a small smile crept onto his face. "They grew up so fast," he murmured distantly.

Lionstar nodded and let the warrior enjoy his thoughts before asking where Crowfeather had gone.

"I'm not sure. He disappears almost every day but nobody ever knows where. He sneaks out before we notice and gets back around," Tigerheart stopped and looked into the sky. The sun was just beginning to fade behind the treetops of the forest. It cast a yellow glow against the leaves that showed against it and gave warning that night was soon to come.

"Right about now actually," Tigerheart mewed thoughtfully.

Instinctively both warriors turned towards the thickets that sheltered the log leading a way to the island. Silently the sat down and awaited the arrival of the mysterious gray tom. The sun passed by overhead unnoticed, bringing a thin layer of darkness to cover the sky as it disappeared over the horizon. A lone star twinkled in the distance and reminded Lionstar just how tiring his day was.

"I'm going to go check on Streamleaf," Tigerheart yawned and got to his paws. Lazily he padded away from his leader in search of his mate and a good night's rest.

Lionstar sighed. Perhaps Crowfeather decided to run away and be a loner. It'd be sensible to do honestly; he wouldn't have to worry about getting caught by Darkstar or fighting in battles. Sometimes Clan life just isn't fit for all cats. But what will happen now with the prophecy if one of the chosen cats decides to leave?

With that thought in his mind the golden tom sat up and was about to lie down in his nest to think when the bushes trembled and an exhausted gray tom stepped into the clearing.

"L-Lionstar what are you doing here?" the warrior mewed nervously.

"I was waiting for you. So where have you gone to, huh? Where have you been all day and how come you keep disappearing? Are you trying to get killed?" Lionstar felt bad about going off on the WindClan tom but it was irritating at how unreasonable cats could be, even warriors.

"Well if you care so much then I suppose I'll tell you. I visit the WindClan prisoners, okay? I bring them some prey from the island so that they can at least be able to stand. Is it such a crime," Crowfeather hissed defensively.

Lionstar was appalled. "Yes it's a crime! By going to visit them you could risk getting caught and being held prisoner again. Or you might even die. And have you thought about your appearance? You look as fit as the BloodClan remnants. Don't you think they'll figure out where you're staying and eventually we'll be caught? That would ruin everything and put lives at risk!"

The prickly tom was about to retort but strangely he didn't. digging his claws into the ground he mewed, "Sorry," through clenched teeth.

Lionstar nodded and beckoned him to leave when suddenly he stopped himself. "Um, Crowfeather you say you go to the prisoners a lot right?"

The gray tom nodded warily. "Look I'll stop, okay." He meowed flatly.

"Actually don't." Lionstar sat down and neatly curled his tail around his paws. He already told the other two about their positions in the prophecy and no it was time to inform the last one of his duties. "I've been receiving dreams lately and now I know what it means. You, Jayfeather and Featherpaw were chosen as important roles in this prophecy. I need you to go to WindClan and RiverClan to talk to the prisoners there. Don't stop what you've been doing because we need those warriors to be strong during the battle. The full moon will happen in a couple of sunrises and there are many preparations to be made."

"So you _want_ me to keep going there?" The rescued warrior meowed disbelievingly.

"Yes. Just be careful and only travel at night you hear?" Lionstar couldn't risk getting caught even a couple days early.

Crowfeather nodded and padded away. "Great StarClan," he muttered under his breath, "I'm getting bossed around by my own kin."

Lionstar stopped in his tracks and stared at the tom. What did he just say? But as Crowfeather continued to walk away the golden tom shook away the thought. "Like I'd be related to _him_,"

**AN: Yes I do believe that Jaypaw and Hollyfrost are Leafpool and Crowfeather's kits. Which would mean that Lionstar is related to Crowfeather too. But back to my own story, now you've found out a little bit more about Lionstar's battle plan and what roles the cats will play. I really would like some reviews though, so I'll quit rambling so that you can start typing! (Remember, no updates until I get at least 5 reviews) Thanks and please review!!**

**Xoxo Snowy **


	26. Feathers in ShadowClan

**AN: The climax of the story will definitely be building very soon. Only about 3-4 more days left until the battle. *gasp* Also I decided to do something different the next few chapters so you'll be reading it from the viewpoint of all the members of the Falling Flock. This way you'll get to see what they're doing at all times pretty much. Oh, and I expect some more reviews coming in, got it? Now please enjoy the chapter.**

_Featherpaw_

Featherpaw woke up and stretched tiredly. The morning sun streamed into the clearing and shone down brightly onto her snow-white fur and made it sparkle. Clouds shifted lazily overhead, bringing with them a calm breeze that made her paws tingle with anticipation. Today was the day that she'd travel to ShadowClan once more to see what Tigerstar's plans were.

"Hey Featherpaw!"

The she-cat turned and let out a purr as Flamepaw padded over from his moss nest to give her a swift lick on the ear.

"Hi Flamepaw. How's your leg doing?" Featherpaw leaned forward to tenderly lick over his wound. The swelling had gone down and he looked like he'd improved, but he still had a slight limp.

"It's doing better," he meowed happily. "I'll be okay for when the battle comes," he assured her.

Featherpaw nodded distantly. It seemed like only yesterday she'd become an apprentice and yet here she was, miles away from home, getting to fight in the biggest war that the forest had ever seen. The she-cat shuddered and not even the sun's warm rays could get rid of the cold feeling of dread that had formed in her heart.

"Don't worry, you'll be okay," Flamepaw meowed as if reading her thoughts.

The white apprentice nodded and just hoped she could believe what he said.

* * *

"Okay so here's the plan, just go swim through the water across the lake onto ShadowClan territory."

Featherpaw nodded as her mentor ordered instructions.

"Then cover yourself in mud and roll in foxdung to cover your fur and scent. After that just get as close to camp as possible, without getting caught, and try to find out as much as you can about what Tigerstar is planning for the gathering. We need to know exactly what his intentions are if we plan to surprise him with a fight," the golden tom explained.

The she-cat nodded nervously, shifting around her paws. "Okay, but…I'm scared." Featherpaw didn't want to sound like a wimp but the first time she'd gone was out of her own accordance. Now that she'd been ordered to go as an important mission the whole prospect seemed much more frightening.

"I know, but trust me you'll be fine," Lionstar gave her a few licks on the head for encouragement as they sat beside the shore. Sunlight glittered on the waves and brought the startled apprentice a little more confidence.

"Okay, I guess."

"All right then, I'll see you around sunhigh," Lionstar gave her a final lick before the white apprentice plunged into the icy water as the start of her first official mission.

* * *

"Stupid foxdung," Featherpaw muttered as she rolled around in the brown pile of dung. Her fur was already plastered in mud to disguise her flashing pelt so the fox dung she'd been told to roll around in to stay fully unnoticeable didn't really help matters.

_Well, it's either deal with this or deal with Tigerstar's punishment_, Featherpaw reminded herself. She choose the dung.

After her fur had been thoroughly covered, Featherpaw got to her paws and jumped behind a bush, sniffing the air to find the scent trail that she'd left from last time. Drawing in the piney smells, the white apprentice let out a frustrated hiss when nothing was discovered.

"Well, I suppose that's a good thing in a way," Featherpaw mumbled as she searched for the tree she'd stationed herself at on the first expedition to ShadowClan, "my scent won't be recognizable."

The entire territory seemed to be filled with pines, their long needles lay endlessly amongst the forest floor. Their cool touch felt soft against her worn paws and for a moment the young she-cat forgot about the intensity of her travel. Only when she tripped over a small log and sent a raven fluttering loudly into the sky did Featherpaw remember to be more careful.

_It should be around here somewhere_, she thought, and determinedly searched the trees for the one with lower branches. Sniffing cautiously at every bark the apprentice desperately tried to find the tree beside camp so she could try to see what Tigerstar was up to.

The sun was high in the sky before she finally had to rest. Making sure that border patrol scents were nowhere near, she laid down exhaustedly against a small tree.

Maybe I'll just rest my eyes for a minute, Featherpaw thought sleepily. She hadn't realized just how tired the swim across the lake had made her. With distant thoughts the apprentice curled her tail around her paws and slowly let the sounds of the forest fade around her.

"Get up now!"

Featherpaw jolted from her sleep and into a defensive crouch, baring her teeth for the oncoming enemy. After blinking away the sleep she turned around and realized she was alone. Confused, she drew in a breath and the mixture of many cats' stench flooded her nostrils. _Where am I?_ She wondered. But as her memories came back, she realized she was still right beside the tree that she'd fallen asleep under just moments ago. Or at least she'd thought.

By now the sun had fallen on the other side of the horizon, casting a pink glow amongst the forest. The water lapped gently across the distant shore and the small she-cat warily lowered her hackles.

"Quit whining! NOW!" The voice commanded once more, Featherpaw whirled to the right, narrowly avoiding a bundle of leaves hanging from a low cut branch.

Of course! This was the tree she'd first climbed in ShadowClan!

A new surge of energy flushed through her now-brown fur as the apprentice leapt up lithely onto the tree. Dodging sprouts of leaves and bird nests, she finally managed to reach the top where she could easily look down on camp and survey the happenings.

"Sit down and shut up, or this kit dies," Tigerstar hissed; his claws extending towards the throat of a tiny kit that was dangling from his mouth. Featherpaw wondered where the poor tom was the first time she visited here. Probably hidden by his mother, she decided.

Instantly the dark brown tabby apprentice sat down.

"Now, what have you done this time Owlpaw? Let's see what your mentor has to say," Tigerstar turned his menacing glare onto an anxious looking Smokefoot.

"He was feeding the prisoners." Smokefoot meowed quietly. Featherpaw could sense that he really didn't want to turn his own apprentice in, and she wondered what their punishments would be.

"Uh-huh…interesting," Tigerstar was taking his time with this one. "Do you think that was appropriate?"

Smokefoot gulped. "N-no."

"I couldn't agree more." Tigerstar paced around the apprentice, still carrying the kit. Owlpaw had his eyes shut, begging to StarClan for a savior. "And what do you think his punishment should be?" Tigerstar stopped walking to sit in front of the black tom. He cocked his head and waited expectantly for an answer.

Featherpaw felt a stone form in her heart; she could only assume what would happen next to the unlucky warrior.

Smokefoot took a deep breath and stared nobly into his leader's eyes. "I think…I think that you're a disgrace to this forest and you need to rot in a heap of fox dung infested with leeches. That's what I think."

Featherpaw winced at the fierce gleam that shot into the cat's eyes right before he lunged. She instantly shut her eyes and looked away, but the echoes of the screeches reminded her what was going on just a little bit away. A loud snarl echoed through the forest as the weakened warrior fought back against the vicious cat. But Tigerstar was strong and all too soon the air got quiet and still as he backed away from the unmoving body.

"Get him away from here," he snarled, licking blood from his claws. He sat down with his tail wrapped around his claws and waited for the rogues to get rid of him. Two muscular cats, one dark brown tabby and a jet-black tom, picked him up carelessly and dragged him off into the forest. The rest of the Clan looked quietly down at their paws unable to move. One particular she-cat seemed more disturbed than the rest as she shook uncontrollably from her head down to the tip of her tail.

_That must be his mate,_ Featherpaw decided as she started sympathetically down at the young white queen. Then she realized something else. This was the same queen whose kits were back at camp! Only she didn't know that. Suddenly a heavy weight seemed to form in Featherpaw's heart; filling it was sorrow and guilt. _This poor she-cat thinks she's lost everything. I hope that we're doing the right thing…_

A deafening yowl split through the forest, jolting Featherpaw out of her thoughts. Her claws came unsheathed, not to keep her balance but out of the immediate anger that came surging through her body every time she heard Tigerstar's voice.

The large tabby tom dropped the kit and flung him back with one swift movement of his massive paw. The tiny scrap landed with a thud and a thin queen came over to lick her kit clean. Tigerstar didn't pay any attention to them.

"Now, does anyone else have something to say to me?" Tigerstar stalked back and forth up the line of cats, his tabby tail swishing back and forth. Featherpaw wished she could jump down and claw it off, at the very least. After what seemed like a thousand moons of silence, Tigerstar continued on.

"That's what I thought," he snarled. "Now, Bone, Russetfur and Claw come here."

The two cats that had previously carried the black tom into the forest came forward along with a dark ginger she-cat. They came and stood just beneath the bone pile, waiting for Tigerstar to make his way to the top. Precariously, he climbed his way to the summit of the pile where a pile of bones was arranged flatly in a square for him to sit on.

"I've called you up here to discuss the plans for the next gathering."

_Yes!_

"Every cat in this Clan will be coming, no exceptions. I have some…special plans for everyone." The leader tilted his head and smiled menacingly.

"For starters, ThunderClan is the only Clan right now that I don't have control over and that is going to change. Bramblestar had his chances to surrender peacefully, but obviously he's reconsidered. In which case, I'll be forced to take more…extreme actions." He stood up and looked out boldly to the group of prisoners and warriors. "Bramblestar must _die_," he growled. "His leadership has been extended too much already, and nothing has even come out of it. He is _weak_, just like that kittypet Firestar was. It's time ThunderClan toughened up, or be erased from the forest completely. And at the gathering in 3 sunrises, Bramblestar will make that choice." He stopped to let that information sink in amongst the others.

"What will you do to them? What will you do to us?" Featherpaw felt pride and fearfulness towards the brave tortoiseshell she-cat that dared to speak up. She was so pretty; it'd be a shame if Tigerstar hurt her.

But for some unexplainable reason, Tigerstar did nothing. He didn't even appear to be angry with the she-cat. Instead he tilted his head and gave a look of fake sympathy. "My dear Tawnypelt," he shook his head sadly. "Did you think that I really had nothing planned for everyone? Where shall I start? How about with the other Clans first, does that sound good to you?"

Tawnypelt nodded slowly.

"Well good then. For ThunderClan, the time of weak leaderships ends now. I will take over their Clan once and for all and teach them what it truly means to be a warrior. Same for the other Clans. Hawkfrost can lead RiverClan and WindClan; he has what it takes to lead the forest. As for Darkstar…he's had his chances and failed me every time." Tigerstar seemed to be remembering something from the past, something Featherpaw couldn't determine. "I hope he enjoys the next few days of being leader, because he's going to be gone soon too."

Featherpaw hadn't realized just how worked up she had gotten because of this cat. Her claws were digging violently into the branch she'd been perched on and her fur was fluffed up to twice its size. Her teeth bore a vicious snarl, holding back the anger she didn't even realize she had. Suddenly the thought of the battle to come seemed no longer frightening. Instead it seemed necessary and almost welcoming, and Featherpaw longed to have the feeling of warm flesh being sifted through her claws. _I'll have to hunt when I go back or else I'll end up hurting someone._

Taking a deep breath of the pine-smelling air, she focused once more on the sandy clearing below where Tawnypelt had just opened her mouth to speak.

"Wait, I'm not finished quite yet," Tigerstar interrupted. "I'm sure you're wondering why I'm bothering to tell you right? Why I would be dumb enough to reveal my plans, just in case someone decides to tell the news before I have a chance to enforce it? Well for you all, the prisoners, I'll have no more use for you. You're just a waste of freshkill. So like I said before, something special is planned for all of you. There won't be a chance to say anything before you're finished off, one by one. And when everything's done, I'll be the greatest leader that ever walked the forest!" He yowled that last bit into the sky, scattering birds as the sound reached their eardrums. Featherpaw watched them flap away, noticing that the sun was sitting much lower in the sky than when she had first set foot onto the enemy land.

_I'd better be getting back_, she thought to herself and slowly climbed down the thick bark. _Lionstar's definitely going to want to hear this…_

So how'd you like to hear about Featherpaw's journey? It was quite something wasn't it? Next up is Crowfeather. Hope you guys liked it and please remember to review!


	27. Feathers in Windclan

**AN: Ok, here's Crowfeather's story. Enjoy! **

"Let's go through this one more time," Lionstar meowed from a tail-length away.

Crowfeather sighed and flicked a leaf lazily between his paws. The morning sunrays hit his skin and helped to warm up his sore muscles. The apprentices' and kits' anxious chattering had kept him up all night, and it was starting to show as the time went by. His eyelids slid down further and further as the seconds went by, and his unkempt fur had scraps of moss clinging to the dark gray hairs. And Lionstar's continually questioning was getting a bit daft.

"I know what I'm doing! You're as worried as an owl," Crowfeather snarled harshly.

"Look, you might be older than I am, but I'm still your leader and I'd expect some respect." Lionstar's nose was inches away from his now, a scowl plastered onto his face. Anger was radiating off him and waves, and the sunlight shone down on his claws as they dug in and out of the ground.

Crowfeather let out an annoyed hiss, and ducked his head before stampeding into the forest. "I'll be back at sunset. Don't waste time worrying about me; find something useful to do. Like training those kits, for example. They're wilder than group of squirrels."

The annoyed tom didn't wait to hear a response, although he was sure that he didn't imagine a hiss from behind him. Instead he stalked stealthily through the forest to begin his first big mission since saving the old clans.

* * *

The dark gray tom moved silently through the brush, letting his paws slide gently over the undergrowth. Dense leaves overhead blocked the sunlight from reaching his floor, something that was quite strange to adapt to after living without cover for his whole life. The WindClan runaway felt cold to the bone; he wasn't used to being enveloped by so many trees. It'd be nice to get out into the open once more, no matter how ominous the circumstances were.

Focusing on the journey ahead, he crouched lower to the ground; thankful that he was upwind and therefore wouldn't be caught entering the enemy territory. Gradually the protection overhead started to thin out, and more rays of sunlight shone through the barrier of leaves above. By the time sunhigh hit, he'd already reached the base of the hills where the WindClan camp would be waiting for him on the other side. Suddenly, he realized he hadn't really thought a plan through. Sure, he knew he was supposed to talk to Barkface and Kestrelwing about preparing others with herbs and then try to sneak out of camp with any sick kits, but _how_ to do all that was becoming a problem. As he sat pondering, the wind changed directions, blowing his strong scent towards the clan cats that waited on the other side of the hill.

_Foxdung, what've I done?_ It was too late to run, it'd just bring them back to the island and reveal the others. If there weren't kits and queens and apprentices there, he'd probably have considered the idea. But it was too risky to get innocent cats murdered. Instead, he flattened himself in an overgrown patch of weeds, and prepared himself for an ambush.

Seconds ticked by like hours as the gray tom anxiously waited with tense muscles. Cautiously he opened his mouth, and the strong whiff of cat filled his nostrils. But their scents were mixed and he'd been away from home too long to distinguish them from each other.

"Hello? Who's there?" It was a tom that spoke, but he didn't sound like a rogue. He was too…scared, maybe?

After a long moments pause, the voice finally spoke again, this time in a hushed whisper. "Crowfeather, is that you?" He sounded skeptical and disbelieving, and the gray warrior remembered that he was supposed to be dead. Taking a whiff of himself, he realized how different his scent had changed since he first escaped a several sunrises ago.

_No wonder he doesn't recognize me…_

Crowfeather waited a heartbeat longer for any sign of an attack but was met with silence. Knowing this could be his best chance; he took a risk and stepped out of his shallow hiding spot.

"Barkface!" Crowfeather felt his muscles relax as the familiar pelt of the medicine cat slowly registered in his mind. Feeling like a young kit again he darted forward and bowed his head towards the old tom. "Thank StarClan it's only you!"

"That's about the only thing we have to be thankful for right now. Tigerstar is colder than ever since the gathering is only a sunrise or two away. And I thought you were dead!" he stepped back to stare disbelieving at the runaway warrior. "You have a lot of explaining to do." Barkface didn't say anything else, but instead sat down in a patch of grass, curling his tail around his paws.

Taking the hint it was his turn to speak, Crowfeather sat down and got into a relaxed position. The threat of an attack seemed to be slim; no other cats could be scented in the air, so the gray tom began to explain his story from the beginning.

"The night of the giant rain storm was when I first escaped. Darkstar sent me out for his freshkill late into the night, waking me from sleep. I suppose he thought I'd be too tired, or old," he let out a hiss, "to try and escape so he let me go without a guard. I decided to get on his good side, and I grabbed a distracted squirrel and headed back quickly. But instead of going back into the prisoners' den, like he thought I did, I ran down to the lake and slept by the bank for the night. I woke up before dawn because I knew he'd send someone after me as soon as he realized I was gone. So I thought of a place with plenty of food, soft ground to sleep on and numerous hiding places and then went there." Crowfeather stopped for a breath and waited to see Barkface's reaction.

"But where did you-" he broke off into a deep thought. "The island!" he finally explained. "You went to the island, right?"

Crowfeather nodded. "But there's more to it. As I got on the island the smell of other cats, cats with an unrecognizable scent, was very strong because of the wind direction. And then I met up with Lionstar."

Barkface cocked his head. "Lionstar? There are only four clans; where does the 'Lionstar' come from? Does he even know about Starclan?"

Crowfeather let out a purr of amusement. "He knows more about it than you think. It was them that sent him and his clan here in the first place. Do you remember Lionclaw? The one who ran away with Heatherstorm? They ran into some cats and formed their own Clan, Leafclan, and are now back to save us. They plan to strike against Tigerstar and the other leaders on the night of the gathering. They-"

This time it was the older medicine cat that interrupted. "On the night of the gathering? And break the sacred truce of Starclan? Is he completely mousebrained?"

Despite the harsh accusations Crowfeather remained calm. "No. He feels that if Tigerstar and the others are meant to rule the forest then they'll cover the moon as soon as the fighting starts. But if they disapprove then the sky will stay clear until justice is finally served."

Barkface sat quietly, evaluating that last bit of information. "I understand now. It's not so bad of a plan if you think about it. But why are you here now?"

Ah, the golden question. "Lionstar sent me here to talk to you actually. We need your help in pre-battle plans. He wants you to feed everyone strengthening herbs along with as much freshkill as possible to get them prepared. We've only got a few more sunrises before it's time to fight and every bit of help would be great. Also, if you've got any little kits that need extra care then send them with me now so we can get them to safer surroundings." Crowfeather repeated what he had rehearsed with Lionstar.

Barkface nodded and nodded once towards the pile of herbs sitting by his feet. "That's what I was gathering now actually. Here smell them. See if there are any on the island you could use to help strengthen your own warriors. And I'll bring out the kits. Two of them, Goldenleaf's kits, can walk but the other two will have to be carried. I'll hurry though before Darkstar gets suspicious.

Crowfeather nodded as the tom ran back to camp and turned his body to face the distant island. The sun was sitting just above it, casting its large yellow-orange glow across the water and onto the small chunk of land. The gray warrior sighed and thought about how it'd look in a few days when red blood would dominate the scene. He shook the thought of the thick scarlet liquid flowing in the water out of his head and instead ducked back into his patch of weeds to wait for Barkface to come back so he could finish his job.


	28. Feathers in Thunderclan

"Ow!"

"Sit sill!" The gray tom snapped, attempting once more to grab the thorn out of the apprentice's paw.

At last he managed to get a grip on the spike and gave it a yank. Blood oozed from the wound as Jayfeather mashed up a combination of herbs to stop infection. That one was larger than normal and had caused a large gash in her dainty white paw.

"There, now you can go." Jayfeather gave the wound one last lick before sending the she-cat on her way back to the den.

"Thanks Jayfeather! Oh, and sorry for complaining," she mewed quietly, resting her tail on his shoulder for a brief second before running off.

"Be careful next time!" Jayfeather called after her, but she wasn't paying attention anymore. The smell of freshkill had wafted over to the medicine cat's den and foretold of the new food available to them. Knowing that someone would probably send an apprentice to bring it for him, the gray tom went back into his tiny cave and laid down in the moss nest thinking about everything that was going on. Luckily, despite all other tragedies, everyone seemed generally healthy and definitely much stronger than the other clans' warriors.

Resting his head on his paws, Jayfeather closed his eyes and slipped into a peaceful dream.

* * *

As the gray tom opened his eyes, he found that he wasn't alone in the medicine den anymore. Instead a thick canopy overhead greeted his awakening along with the sounds of several battle screeches that could be heard from somewhere nearby. Worriedly, he darted forward to find two cats, one silver tabby she-cat and a small orange apprentice, sparring in a small patch of grass while a group of spectators watched. The orange she-cat jumped in the air and twisted around, landing on the warrior's soldiers. In a swift move, the silver tabby rolled onto her back, crushing the she-cat to the ground.

Jayfeather gasped. Clearly they could see it wasn't a fair fight! Suddenly realization dawned on him that he could see. It was only a dream! And as the small orange cat got up and shook her fur, completely unharmed, he realized that the fight was just a mere battle training exercise between mentor and apprentice.

"Good job Dawnpaw," the warrior praised. "Just remember to be quick so that I don't have time to smash you." She gave her a gentle lick on the ear and a together they padded off to the side as two new challengers, a black tom and a brown tabby, stepped up to fight.

After watching part of the battle, Jayfeather began to wonder why he was there in the first place. Curiously, he walked, or floated, around the island searching for some explanation for him being there. So far he could find none. Everyone seemed very intent on hunting or training and nothing appeared to be wrong so far.

As he was about to turn back, a familiar voice called his name.

"Jayfeather?"

The gray tom turned to see Lionstar staring intently at him.

Understanding washed over him. "Ahh… so it was you who needed me. I was wondering why it was this dream I'd been sent to walk in." he padded over to the golden tom and cuffed him playfully over the ear.

Lionstar looked like he was about to say something, but he stopped and stood quietly for a moment.

"It doesn't feel like we're in a dream," he finally mewed to break the silence. "I can still see everything going on around camp as though I was really there witnessing it."

Jayfeather nodded. "Well, sometimes it just happens that way. They can't see you though. Come on; let's go somewhere more private. I can see you have something you're itching to say to me." Jayfeather didn't wait for a response; he just padded away into the undergrowth to find a soft patch of moss to rest on. Lionstar followed close behind and settled beside his brother. Worry clouded his amber eyes and Jayfeather realized that in just a few sunrises the battle would be happening.

"Worried about the battle?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah. Do you think I'm making the right decision?" he glanced towards the direction of the chattering cats and there was regret in his eyes. "I mean, is it fair to risk the lives of all those innocent cats? I just met them a little bit ago and yet here they are, ready to fight for the justice of cats they've never even met before. Some of them won't even live past the next few sunrises." He let out a sigh. "I just don't know what to do anymore."

Jayfeather licked his brother gently on the head. "It's ok. They know why they're here and what could happen. They're loyal cats and if Starclan is ready for them, then there's nothing we can do about it. Be lucky you met such a modest group; this wouldn't be happening without them. Now I know that's not the _only_ reason you were thinking about me; I know you better than that. So what's really up?" The gray tom waited patiently for an answer.

"Well I was actually going to visit you after my nap. I didn't realize how your…power worked. But I needed you to gather up as many herbs as you could to strengthen all the cats. And send out more hunting parties to keep up their energy. We need everyone to be as fit as possible just in case. Is there any way we could collect them now while it's safe? I mean, nobody can really touch us when we're in a dream, right?"

Jayfeather nodded. It was much easier to get things done in a dream because regular world forces, like blindness, weren't fighting against him. "Let's hurry though," he meowed before taking off towards Thunderclan. The wind blew at his fur, sending it up in huge tufts that would need some grooming when he woke up. As the undergrowth thinned out, Jayfeather closed his eyes and took a breath of the freshwater breeze. If felt good to be away from camp, especially now with everything that was happening. A yowl from behind broke into his peaceful thoughts.

"Jayfeather watch out!"

The gray tom opened his eyes to see a hole in front of him that seemed endless. Urgently he stopped running and skidded against the springy grass in a desperate attempt to avoid landing in that hole. But it was too late; he'd been going to fast and just a split second after Lionstar's cry rang out, he stumbled into the little hole and was enclosed in darkness.

**AN: Didn't see that one coming did you? Well I'm getting better on updates however this weekend is my birthday (yay!) so you probably won't get in update until sometime next week unless I manage to do another one today or tomorrow. Anyways, sorry for slacking and please review!! (: **


	29. One Day Left

AN: Okay, we're getting really close to the battle now and things might start getting a little bit confusing because I will do half in Lionstar's view and half in Jayfeather's view. Also I'm going to start with a list of every cat that's currently on the island. Hopefully the information will be completely accurate. Enjoy the chapter!

**Warriors:**

Lionstar

Smokefoot

Streamleaf

Tigerheart

Patchear

Flamepelt

Cloudstorm

Ravenfeather

Clovertail

Sunstorm

Mistpool

Crowfeather

**Apprentices:**

Featherpaw

Tinypaw

Dawnpaw

Applepaw

Oakpaw

Flamepaw

**Queens:**

Whitewing

Cinderpool

**Kits:**

Bumblekit

Briarkit

Blossomkit

Rosekit

Toadkit

Mosskit

Nightkit

"Jayfeather! Jayfeather, can you hear me?" The gray tom shifted his weight lightly, wincing at the pain that shot instantly through his leg. He let out a low moan.

"I can hear you just fine, how far up are you?" His brother's voice sounded distant and far above which scared the injured tom more. It sounded hard enough for a regular cat to get out, so how was a blind cat supposed to manage?

Lionstar's lack of response didn't help either. "Umm… it was a pretty deep hole. We'll get you out though I promise. I'll go fetch Smokefoot and-"

Jayfeather's hiss interrupted his brother. "We're in a dream, remember? I should be fine once I wake up. Besides no one will be able to help you anyways. Just go back to your nest and go back to sleep and before you know it, it'll be morning and I'll be ok." Jayfeather tried to sound convincing but he wasn't sure of his own words. Nothing could really happen to you in a dream, right? But something told him that it wasn't going to be that simple. With a sigh of defeat he lowered his head gently to the cold dirt and drifted back into a peaceful slumber.

At the crack of dawn, Lionstar was already up and about. He hadn't got much sleep last night, ever since Jayfeather's accident in the dream. The golden tom didn't think anything could happen to you in a dream, but as he remembered all his training sessions with Tigerstar and the wounds that appeared in the morning from them his heart began to race. Jayfeather could be stuck in that dream hole forever if someone didn't get him out. As the sun started to peak over the horizon, the leader decided it was a good time to visit Thunderclan.

* * *

"Why are you here so early? It's barely past sunrise." Bramblestar commented as the golden tom raced into camp out of breath. "Did you run all the way here?" His tone was hinted with worry; Lionstar came every day but never this early with so much urgency.

Lionstar just nodded and strode past the dark brown tabby, heading straight for the medicine cat's den. Jayfeather's body lay in the back corner, his gray chest rising and falling slowly with each breath. Lionstar let out a sigh of relief; his brother was ok. But as he examined him more closely, a cut could be seen on his back paw.

"Jayfeather? Jayfeather can you hear me now?" Lionstar's voice quivered as he stepped forward to approach his brother. There was no disturbance in his pattern.

"Jayfeather!" The tom was shouting now, desperate to get a response.

"Lionstar what's going on?" Bramblestar came over to stand beside his son his eyes clouded over with distress.

The Leafclan leader didn't respond. Lionstar just stepped forward and prodded the gray tom's limp body with his paw. It fell to the side like a piece of newly killed freshkill.

"Lionstar what is going on?!" Bramblestar's loud cry stirred up everyone else in camp. Soon the paw steps of others could be heard approaching from behind them but neither cat dared to move.

"It was a dream," Lionstar choked out. "He brought me to his dream and we were on the island and he turned to go home and then," he closed his eyes and a shudder shook violently through his body. "He fell in a hole. It had to have been a fox length long or possibly longer. His leg snapped and," Lionstar stopped talking with his voice nearly a whisper. There was no need for him to go on. Everyone understood what he was trying to say. Jayfeather's spirit was stuck in a hole in a dream while his sleeping body lay limply in the medicine cat's den.

"So, what does this mean? What are we going to do?" An unidentified voice asked out from the crowd. By now the whole clan had awaken and gathered around the medicine den, anxiously awaiting an answer.

Lionstar stared silently at the ground. He honestly didn't know. Without Jayfeather, Thunderclan wouldn't get all the preparations they'd need for tomorrow's battle. Without their help, Leafclan had no chance. Cats would _die_. Tigerstar would win. The whole forest would be destroyed and Starclan would be lost forever. For once in his life, Lionstar didn't have all the answers, and no one else seemed to either.

* * *

Jayfeather woke up with sunlight streaming into the hole. He blinked and realized suddenly that he was still in his dream. Glancing above him he noticed just how high up the opening was. Lionstar was right, it was quite a drop.

Carefully he stood up, not putting weight on the paw he injured last night. Since up didn't seem like an option for escape, he turned around in the tiny space and noticed that the tunnel extended outwards for a while; the end unseen. Having no other options, Jayfeather stepped tentatively forward and hoped to find a way out.

He wasn't sure how long he'd been walking in the darkness. It could've been hours or just a few moments. From what he could tell, it was an all-uphill walk and occasionally he turned a few corners using his whiskers to lead him along. Whoever built this only intended it to be used by one cat.

The darkness didn't help either. Usually the black didn't frighten him but that was when he was in the waking world. When all the scents and sounds were familiar. Down here, even when he opened his eyes nothing could be seen and that scared him more than anything. Soon his paws began to ache and he desperately hoped to find an end soon. As he continued walking further, his eyes started to adjust and a small light could be seen in the distance. Excitedly he ran forward, ignoring the pain in his leg and burst into the clearing.

Sunlight streamed into his vision and he took in a deep breath of air. At that moment he could hear voices up ahead and curiously stepped forward to investigate.

"Take that Tigerstar!" Jayfeather watched as Briarkit leaped forward to pounce on Bumblekit who easily swiped him aside with his big paws. Meanwhile Blossomkit waited with her tail in the air and sprang at her bigger brother while he was distracted. The two siblings rolled over in a play fight and started tussling some more.

"Watch out!" Jayfeather howled a warning but they paid no attention.

"Hey!" Whitewing let out a screech as the two kits rolled into her nest and tumbled into her newly cleaned white fur.

"Sorry Whitewing!" They both mewed, instantly jumping up and licking down their fur. Without waiting for a response the skittered back to the other kits and sat down, clearly done with playing for the moment.

"I warned you!" Jayfeather growled and walked over to the kits that were looking right through him. He hissed and let out a yowl. Nobody stuttered from their conversations.

"Ugh! Jayfeather hissed in frustration and stalked away from the makeshift nursery. Being in a dream had its perks but not being seen was very frustrating.

"Why can't anyone see me?" He howled, not actually expecting an answer.

"Jayfeather?"

The gray tom froze in his tracks. Someone could really see him? He turned around and looked for the speaker.

A gray she-cat looked back at him, her head tilted in surprise.

"Hey! Can you hear me?" Jayfeather's hope was unmasked in his voice.

"Of course, why wouldn't I be able to?" Confusing tinged her meow.

"Because I'm in a dream! I've been stuck in one ever since last night when I fell in some hole on the edge of the island. How can you see me?" Jayfeather's relief was overwhelming. He felt weightless and his heart was racing with hope.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I'm not sure how I can see you but I'm glad I can. What can I do to help get you unstuck?" Something else seemed to be on her mind though and she delicately walked forward and prodded him with her paw as if she was unsure he was real. She stared at him curiously when she felt fur.

Jayfeather couldn't help but be amused. "What, did you think I'd be a ghost?" he let out a purr.

She screwed up her face and gave him a glare. "I don't have to help you, you know."

He instantly stopped smirking. "Right. Sorry. I think all you have to do to help is fall asleep and dream of the island. Then come and find me in my hole. It's right outside a holly bush on the side of the island that faces Thunderclan. I'm not sure how I'll get out but I'm sure we'll think of something." The plan seemed easy enough for now and it was the best he could think of for the moment.

Cinderpool nodded. "Ok I'll try."

Jayfeather gave a curt nod and watched as the she-cat walked away. He couldn't help but notice however that one leg was dragging behind her. He stared thoughtfully for a moment. Was it really Cinderpelt that was helping him now? There was no way he could tell.

* * *

**"**Lionstar you have to think of something." Hollyfrost came over and set her tail gently on her brother's shoulder. "We can't lose him," she whispered.

Even though he agreed, the golden tom couldn't help but feel outraged. "ME? Why do I always have to think of something?! When I ran away did everyone sit around like helpless kits and wait for me to come back with all their answers?" The leader was on his feet now, pacing around the clearing with full frustration and anger. "Why is it always my job to do everything? I have to fight every single Clan in this forest tomorrow at moonhigh so I have my own problems right now. You guys can do this on your own but I'm going back to the island to help prepare my own Clan."

Lionstar stalked away from the crowd, flinging a piece of freshkill at the wall with an unsheathed claw as he strode past.

"Lionstar!" Hollyfrost's growled her brother's name.

"What?" He hissed back, digging his claws into the wet earth.

"This is our _brother_ we're talking about for Starclan's sake. Not to mention the Clan's medicine cat. Without him none of us will have the strength to fight tomorrow. Eventually we'll all die from the smallest of wounds because of infection. You're really going to let that happen?" Her voice was pleading now, her emerald eyes begging him to stay.

Lionstar almost gave in. Almost. He knew she was right but he couldn't come around to admit his wrong being. "This isn't my problem. Handle it yourself." With those parting words he climbed up the rock supports and stalked into the forest.

* * *

"Attention everyone!" The golden tom sat gracefully on a tree branch, most his anger faded from the previous skirmish. He was growing impatient however, and didn't bother with the usual words for calling your Clan to a meeting.

"Yes! He said everyone!" Blossomkit mewed excitedly, licking down her ruffled fur. Briarkit sat beside her, licking mud off his paws while Bumblekit had already started to creep forward. Rosekit and Toadkit were sleeping so Blossomkit didn't bother to wake them. Mosskit and Nightkit stood back, unsure if they were invited too.

"He said _everyone_. Come on!" Blossomkit whispered to the black kit before bouncing forward to join her siblings. The rest of the Clan had already quickly gathered and were anxiously awaiting their leader's news.

"Something has happened to Jayfeather," he began, "and Thunderclan is no longer able to help us in tomorrow's battle. It seems we're on our own now."

Meows of distress cried out from every cat in the clearing. Questions poured into the air faster than the golden tom could answer them.

"Quiet!" He yowled. The chatter stopped instantly. "There is nothing we can do about it now. Instead we must make sure we are all fully prepared for tomorrow because we'll be fighting on our own. So right now I need every mentor to find their apprentice and stay here. You guys can practice fighting in the clearing once I'm finished. Meanwhile I want everyone else who's left to split yourself into two groups: hunters and checkers. Hunters go out and find as much freshkill as you can to feed everyone. Checkers, I need you to go around the island and remove any thorns around the clearing and cover up any dangerous holes. If there's something you can't fix, just mark the spot so we'll all be able to smell the unsafe areas. Ok, get to work." Lionstar leaped off his branch and landed gracefully on the ground where Featherpaw was waiting for him.

"Come on, aren't you ready to train?" Her paws were itching with the excitement of more battle training.

He sighed and her excitement faded. "I have my own things I need to take care of. Go tell Streamleaf that she needs to train you for today, ok?"

The white apprentice still seemed disappointed but she nodded and padded away, leaving Lionstar to go sleep peacefully in his nest.

* * *

"Something has happened to Jayfeather," Lionstar began, "and Thunderclan is no longer able to help us in tomorrow's battle. It seems we're on our own now."

Jayfeather let out a cry but nobody heard it. Was Thunderclan really giving up because he wasn't there anymore? He let out a hiss. That would be typical Thunderclan. As the cries of other cats arose from around the clearing, Jayfeather walked past them and went back into the little opening that led him to that endless pit.

"Ok so now what?" The gray she-cat looked down at him anxiously, waiting for something to do next.

"I'm not sure. Normally when I walk dreams my whole body goes with them. Last time though, it was only my spirit. That's why I was shocked you could even see me. I don't know what happened though because now even when I go to sleep and wake up I'm still down here. I think I have to get out of this hole in the dream world and return to my body here before I will finally wake up in the real world again." Jayfeather thought aloud.

The warrior looked at him curiously for a moment. "You were out though earlier. Why didn't you just go back then?"

Jayfeather shook his head. "I tried already. There was something that wouldn't let me off this island. It was like I was meant to find something down here before I can go back." He sighed. It was probably Starclan that had willed him to fall here just so they could give him a message of some sort. As much as their starry ancestors helped, they could be really flustering sometimes too.

"Well how about I come down there and help you look?" Cinderpool looked carefully over the edge. "It doesn't seem too far."

Jayfeather opened his mouth to warn her but it was too late. She'd already flung herself into the hole. He closed his eyes as she landed with a thud, the breath completely knocked out of her. When he dared to look, he was surprised to see however that she was standing up, completely unharmed. Her whiskers touched the sides of both walls and her tail swished back and forth impatiently. "Come on, let's go!" she meowed, squeezing past him to take the lead up front.

Jayfeather shivered as her pelt brushed against his but said nothing. Instead, as they walked through the dark tunnel he focused on the sound of her every breath, synchronizing the two to become one. He closed his eyes and slipped into deep thought about what it would be like if-

Suddenly she stopped walking and jolted the medicine cat from his thoughts as he barreled into her. "Sorry," he muttered.

She ignored the contact and instead looked out into the distance where one dim light shone out. "Is this the way you went last night?"

"Yes."

"Then we'll go this way."

The she-cat turned to the right and continued into the darkness seeming completely unworried about what could be this way. Jayfeather tried to remember a place where the tunnel had forked last night, but came up with nothing.

As they walked deeper and deeper down, he began to notice that his whiskers no longer touched both sides now. The tunnel was definitely getting bigger. Cinderpool noticed too and slowed her pace so Jayfeather was right next to her.

"This way," she meowed once he joined her, "each one of us will be touching the wall and still be able to know where the other is."

Despite the fact that he couldn't see, this time because of the lack of light, Jayfeather was still completely aware of the she-cat padding right next to him. He'd never had this close of contact with anyone else really, and he suddenly began to despise he'd chosen the path of a medicine cat.

_No, forced not chose_, he reminded himself grimly.

For a long while they walked down this path together silently. There wasn't really anything to say. Jayfeather continued with his eyes shut because that darkness felt safe and familiar unlike this one.

Because of traveling sightlessly, Jayfeather didn't notice when a stream of dim light appeared in the distance.

"Jayfeather look!" Cinderpool's excitement was relentless and he opened his eyes to see the same distant glow that she had spotted just seconds before. Closing his eyes again he stopped for a moment and listened.

"Do you hear that?" he asked happily. "Cats! There are more cats in the distance!" This time it was Jayfeather who took the lead and sprinted forward, Cinderpool trailing close behind. As the glow became brighter, his hope flared more in his chest until he thought it might burst. At last the light was right in front of him, beckoning for him to come just a few steps closer. All at once he had a burst of speed and soared into the light, only to go plunging far down below with one last screech.

Jayfeather was floating. Or it seemed that way at least. There was no weight at all, just him and the air. He couldn't bear to look at where this fall would take him so he just closed his eyes and waited for the impact to hit him. But it never came. He finally dared to look out, only to see that there was going to be no crash. He was gently falling down like a fallen leaf and he let out a sigh of relief. He wasn't sure yet where he was, only that it wasn't the forest. As he descending closer to the ground, he recognized a familiar tortoiseshell she-cat waiting for him at the bottom.

"Spottedleaf!" He declared as his paws finally reached the ground. "Is this the Starclan grounds?" He looked around at the peaceful scene in front of him. Cats from all the times sharing tongues together with no sense of worry or discrimination. Everyone was just another cat despite which clan they lived in previously.

She nodded. "Very few have ever found the portal leading from Starclan to the real world. There was one back in the original forest but it remained completely untouched until the Twolegs came and covered it up. Now there's one in the clan's new home, and you're the first to discover it.

"So that's what you wanted to show me?" Jayfeather was relieved yet incredulous at the same time.

She nodded. "I'll take you back home now, your clanmates are missing you." She walked forward a few steps then stopped and looked back to where a gray she-cat was licking her paws.

"Thanks Cinderpelt," she murmured.

The she-cat nodded. "Happy to help!"

Jayfeather blinked at her. So it _was_ Cinderpelt! No wonder she could see him. He would've pondered more about how Cinderpelt could be here while she was really living a second time as Cinderpool but he had other things to worry about.

"Come, jump." Spottedleaf called out before stepping into a shallow pool of water and disappearing from sight. Jayfeather stared into the crystal water as the fuzzy images of Thunderclan came into view. They were all standing around something, and with a jolt he realized it was him. More anxious now than ever to get back home he jumped into the puddle and found himself standing outside the medicine cat's den once more.

"There is no need to panic. Lionstar was right; we can't wait around like helpless kits. There are other things that need to be done right now. Even if he was being rude earlier, my son still had a point. He has his own clan to manage and I have mine. And for now we'll just leave Jayfeather in the hands of Starclan. Meanwhile, I want to double the hunting patrols and everybody must go to at least one battle training session-"

Jayfeather let Bramblestar's commands fade into the distance. Right now, his own glowing body seemed to be welcoming him back, beckoning his spirit to rejoin with body once more. And for now, nothing seemed like a better idea than that.

**AN: Wow that was longer than I thought it'd be. And sorry if some things were a bit confusing, just let me know when you review (ahem) and I'll try and fix it for you. Thanks! **


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